Speaking with the Angel
by Maddivas
Summary: The team returns home from Romania with a recovering Hetty in tow... but is there a bounty on their heads? And what happens when things start to go BOOM? Things start to get personal - in more ways than one. Can Callen cope with the consequences?
1. Chapter 1

Speaking With The Angel

An NCIS: Los Angeles Fanfiction

by

MADDIVAS

The last 24 hours were a blur. Deeks would give his left nut just to be asleep and snuggled in a fetal position, drooling, snoring and dead to the world. Instead he was sitting in a canvas seat of a military C-130 transport plane, holding on for dear life and riding out the turbulence which seems to be a fitting end to this strictly unofficial mission.

_The Saving of Hetty_. That's what the team had jokingly christened the operation. If you had told him a week ago that he would be hunting down a notorious European crime family on the coast of Romania's Black Sea, he would have asked what type of crack you were smoking. But this wasn't a drug induced fairytale. The team had been through hell and back, and they would do it all again to save their mentor and friend if they had to. Deeks knew he wouldn't think twice – but, if possible, he'd prefer to wait until he had some sleep, a couple of gallons of coffee and maybe a hot shower. Not necessarily in that order, but in some combination of the above. And a hot shower with Kensi would be better yet. God, he must be exhausted if he was fantasising about her when she was only inches away, but then it had been one hell of a rough ride so far and it wasn't over yet.

Deeks relived in his mind the frantic ride to the nearby US Army base in Constanta with Hetty lying severely injured in the back seat. They'd put a field dressing over her wound and kept steady pressure on it the whole time, but she'd lost a lot of blood. They had left Hunter behind to maintain her undercover persona as the Comescu niece. They would need her continued surveillance to keep them apprised of the family's next move. And nobody was exactly sorry she wouldn't be with them. Hunter hadn't exactly managed to ingratiate herself with anyone. Deeks refused to allow himself to feel even the slightest particle of guilt that they'd left her behind without any support. Hunter had got herself into this drama, for her own reasons, and she could damn well get herself out again.

Fleeing the surviving members of the family, the team contacted Vance to give him a status report on their situation and the Director had immediately started trawling his web of contacts and pulling some strings to ease their passage. With Hetty finally unconscious, Callen carried the seemingly indestructible woman gently in his arms and into the triage area of the army base's small hospital. They rushed her immediately into surgery where she underwent an emergency operation to remove the bullet and repair the internal damages. Throughout the procedure her team stood gathered in the corridor, pacing up and down, unable to sit still until they knew she was out of danger.

Once stable, Vance arranged with the US Army to have Hetty and her agents flown to the US military hospital in Wiesbaden. It was the one place in Europe where the team could be relatively safe since there was probably a bounty on the head of each and every one of them by now. It was finally where they would leave her to recover before returning home to Los Angeles.

Hetty was grateful her team followed her to what she thought would be her final mission. She should have known they would have, even though she wasn't happy about it. Although she tried to cover her tracks and disappear quietly into the night, the ops team had tracked her down in their indomitable fashion. She had trained her team well and would have to be more vigilant the next time.

Deeks was brought back to the present when he felt Kensi stir in the seat next to him. She had been sleeping soundly despite the drone of the engines and the rattle that seemed to pervade every bone in his body. Deeks envied her. The woman could sleep through the running of the bulls in Pamplona if she had to. Her head was tilted towards him and he was sorely tempted to reach out and push a rogue strand of hair out of the way which had fallen into her face. It would be so easy, and she would never know…probably. But this was Kensi, who warded off his every advance, and whose guard was never fully down. So his hands continued to clutch the straps of the plane's seat and only his mind was free to explore the glorious possibilities.

Across on the other side of the aircraft, Sam was keeping a watchful eye on Callen. His partner and best friend was sleeping fitfully, occasionally muttering, although the words were too indistinct to make out and several of them in a language that was definitely not English. It could have been Romanian, but then again, it could have been Czech. It was difficult to tell. Not that it mattered. The only thing that mattered was that Hetty and the team were safe now.

But Sam did little to hide his concern. Callen was able to bring to light some answers regarding his family, but his memory was spotty at best and Hetty was not ready to speak to the history of his ancestry or the Comescu vendetta. Callen was still a haunted man and Sam worried he might break under the pressure of revenge, so he continued to watch for signs that would take Callen to the edge. How do you cope after finally remembering that you witnessed your mother's assassination as a child? That was one hell of a memory to suppress and Freud would have had a field day with this one. Watching the senior agent sleep on this return trip was the first time Sam could take a breath and relax but he wasn't ready to give into slumber just yet.

Deeks had a lot on his mind too but he was still keeping it close to his chest. His thoughts had been weighing heavily none-the-less. Deeks had willing followed Callen and the rest of the team to Prague after hearing of Hetty's disappearance. He didn't even think twice about it. It was a tight, extremely functional working unit. They seemed to communicate almost telepathically as a team and he enjoyed the feeling that someone always made sure they had his back. It wasn't like that in his old job. He was the lone wolf as an LAPD detective and his undercover missions found him scrapping by on his own resourcefulness and imagination. Yes, he would always be a cop deep down, but it no longer defined who he was any longer. He was part of a team and Deeks didn't know if he wanted to go back to working his old beat alone any longer. It was time to think long and hard about signing the papers to become an NCIS agent.

Before the team left to return home, they gathered around Hetty's hospital bed in Wiesbaden. Although the woman was weak and pale, they would never consider her fragile, just indisposed at the moment. Deeks had come to respect and love the NCIS matriarch. Was he ready to become part of this family in name as well as in spirit? The LAPD probably wouldn't like it but did he really care? Was this where he truly belonged? Or was there another reason he was so drawn to become an agent?

The team hated to leave Hetty behind but they knew she was in good hands at the Army hospital. Deeks watched as his friends slowly left the room one by one. When he was the last one in the room, he hesitated before turning to face Hetty again.

"I've been thinking a lot about your invitation to become an NCIS agent," Deeks said and stopped to asses Hetty's reaction.

"But you're still not sure…." Hetty nodded.

Deeks lowered his head because he found it hard to look her directly in the eyes.

"You need some time away to think, Mr. Deeks," Hetty advised him. "I know you are not making this decision lightly, but it has to be the right decision and the right reason. You know we will always welcome you with open arms when you are ready. After this week, I'm sure there is no doubt in anyone's mind where your allegiance lies."

"I appreciate that Hetty," said Deeks and finally looked at her and smiled ruefully. "I guess I do have a lot of serious thinking to do."

"I have a small cottage at Big Sur overlooking the ocean that I use sometimes to get away. It's quiet and isolated. I will instruct Nell to give you the key," Hetty continued. "Why don't you take some time to be with your thoughts and enjoy a few days alone to think?"

"Are you coming Deeks? We have a plane to catch," Callen called from the hall way.

Deeks nodded at Hetty and left the room, unaware of the knowing smile that eased its way across her features. Deeks was a man in search of a future. And Hetty had always rather fancied herself as a soothsayer.

* * *

><p>No matter how hard he tried, Deeks couldn't ignore the keys lying on his kitchen counter. He'd been back in LA for a few days now, but he couldn't stop thinking about that farewell in the hospital and how Hetty had been so insistent that he use her cottage…<p>

"You need some time to think," she had said, and her voice was a thin parody of its normal force and vigour.

Hell, he was hardly back from Romania. He didn't need to go on a road trip when his body clock was still completely messed up and he wasn't quite sure if he was meant to be awake or asleep. Deeks had kept his head down during that conversation, unwilling to look at her, knowing she would see through all the pretence in a second. Hetty was one of the few people he'd never been able to fool. Apart from Ray, she was the only person who could push aside all the protective veneer to expose the real man underneath – the person he kept carefully hidden from public view.

She'd told him to take some time, to think about things. Think about things – well, wasn't that ironic? Hadn't he done enough thinking already? He seemed to have done nothing except think for the past few weeks. There he was, thinking about everything that had happened, thinking about everything that still might happen, but mainly thinking about everything that had not happened and which was probably never going to happen. Right now, Deeks wasn't sure he wanted to think about anything at ever again. He just wanted to crawl into bed and forget about everything. Right now, he would practically sell his soul for eight hours of solid, uninterrupted sleep. If it weren't for the dreams. But there were always dreams, whether he was awake or asleep. And the dreams all had one constant in them...

"What have you got lose, Deeks?" he asked himself. "It's only a weekend. You're not committing yourself to anything." And the prospect of Big Sur was awful tempting. The surf was always awesome there. So maybe Hetty was right? She usually was, after all.

Half an hour later and there was a bag lying on the back seat of the car, his boards were strapped to the roof and Marty Deeks was hitting the Pacific Coast Highway, with the music blaring, the windows rolled down and the wind blowing through his hair. For some reason, one that he hadn't quite fathomed out yet, just before he'd left his apartment, he'd picked up the set of NCIS application papers Hetty had given him before Prague and put them in the box of groceries he'd packed.

Now that he was back he was having second thoughts. Maybe it was just the heat of the moment in Romania? And things had been heated, no doubt about it. But Deeks had a feeling he was being forced into a corner, and that just aroused the rebel in him, made him dig his heels in that little bit harder. The fact he was taking the papers with him didn't mean anything – of course it didn't. It wasn't as if he'd gone ahead and signed them, or even that he'd given the whole thing serious consideration. It was probably just that he didn't want anyone else to see them. And you didn't leave that sort of thing lying around, did you? So it wasn't as if it meant anything, because it didn't. Clearly it didn't. Anyone who knew him would instantly know that there was no way Deeks would leave LAPD. What possible reason could he have to do something like that?

Well, there was an answer to that and the answer was pretty damn simple. So simple that it could be summed up in one word: Kensi. One word that summed up exactly why he couldn't think straight, why he lay awake at nights longing for her with such fierce intensity that his body ached. Kensi, who was starting to dominate his thoughts, whether awake or asleep. What was the point in driving all the way up to Big Sur when nothing was going to change? So he could be miserable in a different place? Only he was on the road now, and it was kind of a great drive. Plus, he could spend the whole weekend in the ocean, concentrating on the waves. The same waves that were as unpredictable as Kensi. One minute she pushed him away, the next she was pulling him back in. No wonder he was in such a mess. Deeks had the very definite idea that the answer was Kensi. Now, if he could just work out what the hell the question was, then he'd be laughing.

* * *

><p>"Big Sur?" Kensi wondered if she had heard correctly. "Why would I want to go to Big Sur?" It was a long way from California to Germany, after all and some interference on the line was only to be expected. She'd gotten into the habit of calling Hetty a couple of times a day, just to hear her voice and know that she was alright. So far, she was making a remarkable recovery. Any other woman would have been knocked for six after going through that sort of ordeal, but then Hetty was no ordinary woman. It was funny how the absence of someone so small could leave such a big hole, could rip apart the very fabric of their existence. Kensi refused to think about what might have happened if that bullet had been just an inch or so to the left.<p>

"Because it is very beautiful? And you might find what you are looking for there?"

"What exactly _am_ I looking for?" Well, that was the question, wasn't it? It would good to have some guidance on that one. "You're planning something, aren't you?"

"Not guilty. I just thought you might benefit from some peace and solitude. A time to reflect upon things? Perhaps the break could act as balm to your soul?"

"Do I look that stressed?" Pulling out her mirror, Kensi took an appraising look at herself and then grimaced. "I do, don't I?" All those sleepless nights were starting to take their toll. "Okay, maybe a weekend doing nothing but staring at the ocean would be good."

"I'm sure you'll enjoy the view." Hetty permitted herself the luxury of a small smile and ended the call.

Which was why Kensi found herself driving up Route 1 that afternoon instead of sitting watching a reality show marathon. One of the main attractions of getting away from LA was the opportunity to think about things – really think about things, which was something Kensi knew she had been putting off for far too long. She needed to work out where she was going – and who she wanted to go there with. For too long she'd been pretending, pushing down her feelings and pushing Deeks away – literally and figuratively. So a weekend sitting in a hot tub, sipping wine and staring at the ocean sounded like just the manna her troubled soul craved. Damn Hetty! How did the woman seem to know everything – even before she knew it herself? Kensi thumped the steering wheel in frustration and then shot an apologetic look at the car driver sitting next to her at the intersection. The sooner she got out of LA the better.

She found the cottage without any difficulty, due to Hetty's meticulous directions, which was no less than she had expected. Clutching the heavy keyring, Kensi ran lightly up the steps and found the large bronze key that Hetty had said would open the front door. Only it wasn't unlocked. Instantly on the alert, Kensi drew her gun and went cautiously into the house. The interior was open-plan, giving her a clear view, right across the room to the picture windows that comprised the entire width of the back wall. She saw instantly that the room was empty and also that the windows gave an incredible view westwards, where the sun was starting to set in a brilliant blaze of glory, but that was not what caught her attention. No, her eyes were drawn across the room not towards the sunset and all its attendant gold and crimson hues, but to the deck that stretched outwards, seeming to hang out from the cliff, poised above the ocean. The windows were open and she could hear the faint sound of the waves crashing on the shore below and smell the fresh tang of sea air. And she could see the hot tub, sitting temptingly on the deck, just begging for her to slip off her clothes and glide into the inviting waters which would sooth away her troubles.

Moving softly across the room, almost in a trance, Kensi's whole attention was seized by the hot tub, or more precisely by the man sitting in it; sitting there in the warm, bubbling waters with his head bowed slightly and his eyes closed. It was Deeks – Deeks was sitting there, with his arms outstretched, hands lying lightly on the edges of the tub and giving every indication of being sound asleep. The rays from the setting sun seemed to bath his skin with gold and amber. All of a sudden, Kensi found it was getting very hard to breath as she simply drank in the sight. The force of her instant physical reaction almost stopped her dead.

'Oh dear God in heaven. I've died, haven't I? I've died and gone to heaven,' she thought. If this was a dream, then she didn't want to wake up, not ever.

Moving as if in a trance, she took a few steps closer, so that she could see each individual bead of water on his body and then watched in silence as a droplet ran slowly down a curl of dark gold hair to land on Deeks' chest, where it lingered tantalisingly for a moment before slowly proceeding downwards, with Kensi's eyes following ever inch of its progress. This was too much. How could she be expected to stand there and look at him looking like that, looking good enough to eat - and not do anything? Her mouth was dry and it would be so very, very easy just to reach out and take hold of him and kiss him like he'd never been kissed in his whole life and…

And what was she thinking? This was Deeks – her partner. The guy who made stupid jokes and merely flirted with her because that was what he did. Deeks flirted with every breathing woman, with the possible exception of Hetty, but that was probably because he was frightened of her, and with good reason. This was Deeks – who was like a brother to her, only Kensi had read _Flowers in the Attic_ and she knew what could happen when people were pushed together. Above all, this was Deeks – who she'd had a huge 'thing' for since the first moment she clapped eyes on him in that gym. She'd been fighting her feelings for over a year now and right now, Kensi was in the mood to surrender, completely and utterly. Because this was Deeks, who had the body of a Grecian god, and the best hair this side of Hollywood and who would do anything for her – up to and including putting his own life on the line.

And this wasn't a 'thing'. This was real. And Kensi knew how very short life could be. So she took that final, fatal step forward, knelt down beside the hot tub and kissed him lightly, like Sleeping Beauty in reverse. Sitting back on her heels, Kensi watched as Deeks' eyes stayed resolutely shut, even as his mouth curved in a smile.

He knew it was her, knew it from the subtle scent of her perfume. He'd know her anywhere. And he'd dreamt of kissing her a thousand times in his dreams, so he knew exactly how it would feel. Except this wasn't a dream. And that kiss had just about knocked him for six, nearly had him sliding under the water in shock. Every scenario he'd ever run through his mind had always had him doing the advancing. Never in a million years had Deeks imagined Kensi would be the one to make the first move. God, he loved that about her – the sheer unpredictability of her. He had to act cool and not let her see how turned on he was by this whole scenario. It was a good thing the hot tub was still bubbling away merrily or the game would have been given away in an instant.

"Kensi?" He ran his tongue over his lips questioningly, savouring the faint trace of her and then smiled again. "Definitely Kensi. I knew you'd come." And then, Deeks finally opened his eyes and the brilliant blue seemed to shimmer into her soul. "What took you so long?"

"Traffic was a nightmare," she answered automatically. "What the hell do you mean 'I knew you'd come'? I didn't even know I was coming till a few hours ago."

"Come on – give me a break. That's a good line. Possibly even a great line. Admit it." He grinned up at her, seemingly unconcerned that she was fully clothed and he was definitely not.

"You never admit anything, Deeks – don't you know that by now. You've got so much to learn."

"So how about you teach me?" he invited.

Sometimes, actions spoke louder than words, so Kensi simply reached out so that her hands were cupping his face, turning it towards her so that her lips met his. Just for an instant he hesitated, and then her tongue was in his mouth and he was kissing her back, hard and fierce. And then his arms were around her shoulders and tangling in her hair, and as the kiss intensified, Kensi knew everything was going to be alright. Because this was Deeks and this was meant to be. It was always going to end like this. Hetty had been right – she had found exactly what she was looking for. It was six foot two, with big blue eyes and fair hair and a body from God and it answered to the name of Marty Deeks.

* * *

><p>"Good weekend?" Callen asked, looking at his desk in dismay. How come so much paperwork had accumulated in the short time they'd been away? Couldn't someone have at least sifted through some of it – or maybe this was one of Hunter's ploys to try to weaken their resistance? If so, it wasn't going to work.<p>

"It was fine. Didn't do a whole lot." Deeks sipped his coffee casually. "Went up to Big Sur. I'd planned to get some surfing in, but things didn't quite work out that way."

"Let me guess – you got sidetracked?" Sam cocked one eyebrow suggestively.

"Kind of. There was this really great hot tub, and the view was amazing and… and you know how it is."

Callen digested this information. "So you weren't just camping then?" A weekend in a hot tub at Big Sur sounded pretty damned amazing, and knowing Deeks, he hadn't spent the weekend alone

Deeks shook his head. "No. A friend of mine lent me this cottage – it was incredible. Everything you could possibly want and then some."

"Sounds like a good friend. A very good friend."

"She is. Maybe the best friend I've got." He looked at the piles of folders on his desk and felt like turning right around and going back down to Big Sur. "Did someone clear out a cupboard when we were gone?"

"I think this is Hunter's way of saying 'welcome back'."

"I think she should learn to keep her mouth shut." Nell staggered in with another armful of folders and a harried expression on her face.

"I don't want those. I've got more than enough already." Deeks spread his arms protectively across his desk.

"Stop boasting. And these are for Kensi anyway." Nell dumped her bundle down unceremoniously and looked around. "Where is Kensi?"

* * *

><p><em>Our first story - we do hope you like it and want to read more! Why not let us know what you think?<em>


	2. Chapter 2

**Speaking With The Angel: Chapter 2**

"I'm right behind you Nell," Kensi responded. "Isn't it a glorious day?" Kensi had a huge smile on her face as she scanned the bullpen and turned back to look at Nell.

"Yeah, just ducky...sign these...in triplicate," Nell barked and pushed the bundle of papers in her face.

"Be happy to," Kensi sang and quickly obeyed the grumpy Ops Analyst.

"I don't know what kind of drugs she's on, but I want some," Nell mumbled, practically grabbing the forms out of Kensi's hands and stalking off to Hetty's office. Or rather, what had been Hetty's office. It was now occupied by someone completely different and who seemed to regard Nell as her personal slave.

Deeks felt the same euphoria that was coursing through Kensi's blood. They had come together, mind, body and soul and there were no words to describe how he felt right now about this woman. Well, there were actually, only none of them were printable.

"You might think she was in love, huh, G?" Sam asked.

Deeks froze like a rabbit caught in the headlights of an oncoming car and buried his head in the pile of paperwork Nell left behind on his desk. Perhaps if he pretended to concentrate on looking for his time card it would deflect the attention away from him? If nothing else, at least the pile of folders gave him some degree of cover. All he had to do was keep his head down and pray Kensi kept her mouth shut.

"She's about due for one of her episodic melodramas don't you think?" Callen picked up the ball smoothly and played along. "Girl meets boy, girl loses boy, girl goes crazy and takes it out in the shooting range."

_Or how about girl goes berserk and shoots her team mates who won't leave her alone?_ Kensi though darkly. She was scared to look over at Deeks for fear her eyes would give away their secret tryst and magical weekend at Big Sur. If she stole just one glance over at Deeks, her eyes would glaze over, her heart would start pounding furiously and her legs would give out from under her. She had all the symptoms of a terminal disease and she didn't care if there was no cure.

"Come on you guys. Can't a girl just have a great relaxing weekend and be happy to be back with her friends and colleagues on a beautiful Monday morning?" Kensi asked.

"No!" Callen and Sam barked in unison.

Callen noticed Deeks was being uncharacteristically quiet. He actually appeared to be trying to hide behind that pile of folders. Time to go fishing.

"So how was Big Sur, Kensi?" It was said in an off-hand, casual manner, a simple throw-away line, and she fell for it alright. She fell for it hook, line and sinker.

"It was..." Kensi stopped in mid-sentence and began to stammer. "How...how would I know? I was here in LA all weekend." Kensi started to nervously pull items out of her back pack, but her fingers just wouldn't work properly and half the contents fell out to land unceremoniously on the floor. _Steady, Kensi._

"Sure you were," Callen smiled in amusement as she scrambled after a tampon that had rolled half-way across the floor.

"I was! Went out with some friends, saw a movie, then we went to that new club..." Kensi snapped her fingers over and over..."what was it called? Rocco's, that's it. And Sunday, well Sunday, oh it was...busy, busy, busy!" Kensi shook her head up and down.

_Methinks the lady doth protest too much_, Sam thought and smirked at his partner.

Deeks was looking thoroughly bemused and enjoyed watching his partner fall deeper and deeper into a swirling worm hole. He was sure that pretty soon she was going to start snorting or giggling or both at the same time and give them both away. _Shut up, Kensi. Just keep that pretty mouth of yours shut, will you?_ The trouble was, he couldn't stop thinking about what that mouth had spent a good part of the weekend doing.

"Well, I for one am grateful that we are back in one piece, safe and sound and enjoying another wonderful day together in the good ol' US of A. If nothing else we can all be thankful for that," she said resolutely, aware she was gabbling and sounding like a complete idiot.

"Yes, I'm sure we all are, Kensi."

The team slowly looked up at the second floor landing to find acting operation manager Hunter standing at the top of the stairs, hands folded over her chest, and looking like the last kid picked for the little softball league squad. The one nobody wanted and who was only allowed to play under sufferance.

"I would like to see you all in Ops, now." Hunter turned and walked down the hall without waiting for a response. Striped of his official duties, Eric stood behind Hunter looking forlorn.

"What she said." Eric walked sadly back to Ops, a man crushed and with scarcely a spark of resistance left in him.

"Spoke too soon, didn't you?" Callen whispered into Kensi's ear as he passed her on the way up the stairs. Sam brushed past in silence but Deeks took the opportunity to goose her – just because he could.

* * *

><p>"Good morning ladies and gentlemen." Hunter looked around the room to assess the group of agents gathered around her. Callen had his hands in his back pockets, staring blankly ahead at the Ops screen. While Hunter tried to make eye contact, Callen preferred to ignore her. She may have saved his butt in Romania, but that didn't mean he fully trusted her or even particularly liked her for that matter. Barely veiled hostility was probably the best he could manage right now. Hetty had a lot of explaining to do, and when he got his hands on her…<p>

Behind him Sam, Deeks and Kensi could feel the tension between the two senior agents growing and stood instinctively behind the Ops table for protection. It was like watching a monster truck rally and wondering which one was going to get crushed first? Someone was going down – it was a matter of who, and when.

Eric watched the whole show from his corner vantage point in Ops. His safe corner, well out of range of the stings and arrows that looked ready to fly. The team dynamics had shifted distinctively and it made everyone nervous. He didn't like it, especially since he couldn't even get a smile from Nell any longer. How could one woman cause so much disruption and unease? Simple: discord, thy name is Hunter. He loathed the woman, loathed her with a deep and deadly loathing, but one which he kept well-hidden.

"I have been in touch with Director Vance and I will be holding full debriefings with each of you, individually regarding the mission in Romania," Hunter said. Deeks tried not to shudder at the mental image of Hunter undressing him in private. That ranked right up there with a proctological examination. "It should be no surprise to any of you that the Comescus will not go quietly into the night. The surviving members will do their best to track you down and continue the legacy of revenge that they have waged against you and your family, Mr Callen."

"Does that include you as well?" Callen asked ingenuously.

Hunter ignored Callen's implied question. "I will continue my undercover work as Elenna Comescu if that is what you mean. I hope that eventually you will realize that I am on your side, Agent Callen."

Callen stared directly into Hunter's eyes but wouldn't give her the satisfaction of looking away first.

"What kind of threat are you expecting and how soon?" Sam asked, feeling that someone had to break the impasse.

"I'm not sure Mr Hanna," Hunter answered. "I am waiting to hear from Dracul. They think that Elenna has gone back to South America on family business. As soon as I hear from him, I will know better what they are planning."

"And what about me? When am I going to get some answers? Callen drilled Hunter.

"This isn't the time, Agent Callen. Your personal questions will have to wait for Hetty to rejoin us. I'm sure that when she returns you can ask her everything you need to know," Hunter said.

Callen looked away in disgust. Now wasn't the time or the place to demand more information about his personal ancestry. But his mother's cold blooded murder would keep him searching for each single piece of the puzzle...one piece at a time if he had to. And if he had to go after the Comescus by himself, on his own time, to get that information, then that was what he would do.

"In the meantime, I would suggest you all remain on alert and practice extreme security measures at all times. I recommend you stay in groups of two or three at least until we get more information from the field," Hunter ordered. Under lowered eyes, Deeks looked across at Kensi: that was one order he'd have no problem in obeying, no problem at all.

"Any questions?" The room was quiet except for the white noise circulating the space. "Then that will be all," Hunter dismissing the group, rather as if they were her kindergarten class.

The team looked apprehensively around the room trying to gage each other's reaction to Hunter's sobering news. If they were moving targets, how far would the crime family go to see them dead?

"Detective Deeks, Ms. Blye, may I see you both for a moment, please?" Hunter called out.

Kensi and Deeks watched as the rest of the team left the room. As senior agent, Callen wanted to remain behind to protect his agents, but he knew Hunter wouldn't be too appreciative of his interference at this point. Hetty would have valued his concern. Hunter, not so much. He gave them a nod of assurance and walked out behind Sam.

"Could I ask both of you where you were this weekend? I tried to reach you but your phones were turned off," Hunter probed.

"I was at Big Sur," Deeks responded without hesitation. He knew he had Hetty's blessing and wasn't concerned about hiding his whereabouts from Hunter. He smiled blandly at her, and wondered why her face never seemed to move much. She was like some older version of Angelina Jolie, only with a frozen face, like she'd just come back from the dentist and the novocaine hadn't worn off. It was hard to get a reading on a woman who looked like she'd just had root canal treatment. "And I was off-duty," he added meaningfully.

She chose to ignore that last statement. "And you, Ms. Blye?"

Kensi looked at Deeks. Probably no point in lying to Hunter. She would find out eventually.

"I was with Deeks," she said softly and with a hang-dog expression.

Deeks felt his heart sink. _Couldn't you just have prevaricated? Or even just lied?_ _Where did all those undercover skills go to, Kensi? Are you afraid of old frozen-face or something? Anything else you want to tell her – like the fact I pack to the left and I like an extra shot in my latte? Or maybe I should share the fact you make this noise like a kitten when you come? How about I share that?_

"In light of what is currently going on, I would advise you against going out of communication again. Besides compromising your own safety, you would be useless if a direct threat hit this organization. Do you understand me Detective? Agent Blye?"

"Yes, ma'am," Deeks agreed quickly. Too quickly. Sincerity and intent were both lacking. But then, all she'd asked was if he understood – not if he was going to obey. Deeks had no problem obeying the letter of the law. It was, of course, up to the draftsman (or woman) to make sure the statute reflected the intent. He almost felt sorry for Hunter – this was going to be like taking candy from a baby. More than that, this was going to be fun.

"Of course. Can we go now?" Kensi was hot under the collar. Her left eye started twitching and her muscles were locked. Hunter didn't need to tell them how to do their job. Besides, Hetty knew where they were all along if they were needed. Who did Hunter think she was? Apart from being an interfering old cow, of course. She was probably jealous…

"One more thing," Hunter added. "Although SecNav has no rules against dating in the workplace at NCIS, it can be looked on as a deterrent to your career and affect our optimum performance as part of the team." Hunter gages their reaction. "I would suggest you think long and hard before you decide to enter into any future romantic relationship."

Kensi bit into her bottom lip and raised her eye brows. Deeks could only purse his lips to keep from smiling. _Okay, I'll think about it, if that's really what you want me to do. I'll think about how much damn fun it was and how much more fun it might be. As for thinking 'hard' – don't make me laugh. I was hard all weekend. You really need to learn to think about what you're saying, Hunter, 'cos right now you're playing into my hands._

"Do you find this amusing, Mr. Deeks?" Hunter asked.

"Well, this reminds me of when Mrs Hamel, my 7th grade gym teacher, caught me kissing Deidre O'Brien behind the bleachers. Boy, they were fun times." He grinned at the memory. "And did she give Deidre a rocketing. Accused her of corrupting a minor. Of course, she was 14 at the time. Deidre, that is – not Mrs Hamel. She was about thirty, I guess. I've kind of had a thing for older women ever since then." Deeks stopped his rambling and looked straight at Hunter, without so much as blinking. He was highly gratified to see her drop her gaze and watch that suspiciously porcelain complexion deepen just a little.

Kensi looked at Deeks as if he had just lost his mind. She was considering running for cover under the Ops table. 'Duck and cover' didn't seem much of an instruction as a life-style choice right now. _How about you keep that big mouth shut for once, Deeks? That big, beautiful, kissable mouth…_

Hunter didn't respond immediately, mainly because she couldn't quite decide if Deeks was flirting with her or having a laugh at her expense, although she strongly suspected the latter. Instead she turned her back on the couple and dug her nails into the palms of her hands.

"I'm glad I can bring back fond memories Mr Deeks, but you don't have to like what I say, you just have to comply. That will be all." _When I say 'jump' the only permissible response is to ask 'how high'. Got it?_

The meeting was definitely over. Kensi tried to slink off quietly, but Deeks was having none of it. "Guess we'd better go and organise our rotas then. Got to make sure none of us are ever left alone. Is it just me, or does this remind you of one of those teen horror movies, Kensi? You know the ones – where the pretty girl goes off alone and there's the bad guy lying in wait for her. And the music starts to play." He was humming under his breath, a mash-up of the themes from _Psycho_ and _Jaws_ that set Kensi's teeth on edge.

"Shut up!" Kensi hissed as the doors shut behind them.

"What? I was only saying…"

"Well don't. You've said more than enough." Kensi pulled him along the corridor.

"Me? I've said enough? Listen to who's taking, Little Miss Blabbermouth. Why don't you just post a status update on your Facebook page and be done with it? There must be at least a couple of people working here who still haven't heard about our weekend together. And not from me, I may point out."

"I couldn't help it. It's like she has this strange power over me, or something. I just feel all inadequate when she looks at me like that. She's like one of those ventriloquist's dummies – her mouth moves, but the rest of her face doesn't. It creeps me out." Kensi pulled open a door and thrust her partner inside.

"Okay, this is weird. Why are we in the janitor's closet? With the light off? Are you propositioning me, Ms Blye?" He blinked as the lights flickered into life. "And why are you looking at me like that?" _Kind of pissed, but hot at the same time. Which works for me._

"It's over," she hissed. "Understand?"

"Is it over because you say it's over, or because Hunter says it's over? Enquiring minds want to know."

_I thought he'd be more upset. I'm upset - why isn't he more upset?_ "It's just over, okay?"

"It was just a fling," Deeks replied. "So it's not a big deal_." It's just that I thought we really had something there. But if that's the way you want it, fine. I'm not going to push you. I've never had to beg for sex and I'm not about to start now._

"Good. I'm glad you understand."

Deeks gave her that cocky, self-assured grin that she knew only too well. "Hey, as long as we're singing from the same hymn sheet. In perfect harmony. And in rhythm, of course."

He was mocking her, Kensi realised, like he thought he had all the answers. Well, it was time to make him think again. "Shut up, Deeks. For once in your life, will you just do me a favour and shut up?" He was leaning back casually against the wall, because there wasn't a whole lot of space in the cupboard and it was the easiest thing in the world for Kensi to close the distance between them and to place the palms of her hands on either side of him and kiss him like the three minute warning had just sounded.

Down on the floor below, Sam and Callen exchanged looks.

"Why has Kensi dragged Deeks into the broom closet?"

"And what is she doing to him in there?"

A loud metallic clang suggested that someone had just kicked a bucket over, followed by a muffled noise that sounded rather like a kitten mewling. A long silence ensued as the two men contemplated the implications before their eyes met again. Callen shook his head wearily. "Don't ask, Sam. Just don't ask." _Idiots. Do they have to wind Hunter up like that? But God, they've got guts. Either that or they've had so much sex their brains have rotted._

"Because they won't tell?" Sam raised his eyebrows, having a very good idea what was going on. And virtually under Hunter's nose too.

"Probably." Callen looked at the paperwork and seriously considered telling Hunter exactly what she could do with her job. And then decided that he wouldn't give her the satisfaction. Damn Hetty. What did she want to go and get herself shot for? He needed to talk to her. And for the first time, Callen acknowledged just how important Hetty was in his life. It wasn't just that she knew more about his past life than she had even chosen to reveal; no it was much more than that. It was Hetty herself. Somehow, somewhere along the line, she'd become part of his life. She was family and he missed her. There was this empty void where she should have been and it didn't feel right.

The thoughts were whirling around in Callen's head when there was a muffled roar and the whole building shook. Instantly, agents leapt up from their desks, weapons drawn. Each team went tearing outside as alarms started blaring and computer systems shut down automatically.

* * *

><p>"Wow! This time the earth really did move," Deeks muttered, pulling up his fly and dashing out of the room, glancing over his shoulder to make sure Kensi was with him.<p>

"Don't flatter yourself," she muttered. "You're not that good."

"Can I help it if you think so?" _You were the one crying out like a kitten, sweetheart. I was just breathing hard._

They were outside now, staring at a burning wreck that had once been a car. A very expensive car. Now it was just a tangled mess of metal and flame. The acrid smell of the smoke was everywhere. For the first time, Deeks was glad his own parking spot was at the far end of the lot, and thus had escaped any damage.

"Was it a bomb?" Kensi asked.

Sam shook his head. "It was Callen's Aston Martin. And he's not taking it too well." That was an understatement. Callen was stomping up and down, muttering under his breath and shaking his fist in the air at regular intervals.

"He's really pissed, isn't he?" Not that Deeks was surprised: Callen had really loved that car. That ex-car.

"Not as pissed as Hetty's going to be." Sam said the words without thinking and then realised – Hetty wasn't here anymore. She'd been replaced by Hunter and Hunter looked like she was here for the duration. And if he was any judge of character, Hunter would not be so ready to indulge Callen with high end, top marque cars. Which meant there were going to be more fireworks ahead. Sam decided to call in on Hetty as soon as she returned home. They needed to chat. He might even stop by that specialist tea shop on the way.

"How the hell did someone manage to plant an explosive device in my car?" Callen fumed. "This is supposed to be a top-secret, secure facility. You want to explain this to me, Hunter?"

Hunter blinked and took an involuntary step backwards. "And what makes you so sure protocol was compromised, Callen? I imagine there must have been some periods it was left unattended over the weekend unless, of course, you've taken to sleeping in your car again?"

The gloves were definitely off. More than that, Hunter had just verbally kneed Callen in the balls.

"Now would be a really good time to give us the rest of the day off," Deeks remarked _sotto voce_ and for once Sam couldn't help but think he had a point. A very, very good point. It was just a pity that wasn't about to happen any time soon. Not under Hunter's watch, anyway. It might be time to break out the body armour.


	3. Chapter 3

**Speaking With The Angel: Chapter 3**

**In which Callen gets rather more than he bargained for...**

"I should have killed them all before I left Romania!" Callen spat out in anger. His eyes were glassy and cold but his blood was boiling hot. Sam looked over and saw the same contempt in his partner's face that had first emerged after he found out about his mother. Callen the avenger was back. Sam was a lot of things but being a miracle worker wasn't one of them. How was he going to contain the hatred that has built up in Callen and prevent him from going over the ledge for good this time? Callen had just started to relax and let down his guard around his colleagues this week but that was all blown to shreds like the expensive car in front of them. Sam watched Callen make his way through the mayhem and the big man followed closely behind him.

Hunter directed the controlled chaos that had permeated the exterior of the Mission. Various agents and support staff ran around assessing the damage, photographing the scene in minute detail and clearing away the area to gather evidence. A car mechanic had been killed in the blast when he went to move the car for a scheduled maintenance appointment. Unfortunately the detonation device couldn't tell the difference between Callen and the mechanic and the innocent man paid for it with his life. There wasn't a whole lot left of him to try to retrieve, but they would do their best to try to give his family something to bury.

Callen walked over to what was left of his car in the sure and certain knowledge that the bomb had been intended for him. Each piece of metal had his name written on it. He stepped gingerly around the debris looking for anything that might connect this devastation to the_ familia. _Sam stood next to him, ever vigil in his attempt to stay just one step ahead of his partner and anticipate his next steps no matter how violent or unanticipated.

"I know what you're thinking G but you can't jump to conclusions. We left the Comescus in pieces… it would take them longer than this to plan a retaliation." Sam tried to reason with Callen.

Callen was only half listening to Sam. He knew his partner was right but he was operating on blind instinct right now. Callen just shook his head and held up his hand to Sam, motioning his partner to stay away. He didn't want to hear reason; he just wanted to end this cat and mouse game once and for all.

Deeks watched the interaction between Sam and Callen and wondered where this was all going to lead. He looked at Kensi and pointed his head to the right indicating he wanted to talk to her alone.

"Hunter wasn't kidding, was she?" Deeks whispered to Kensi. "These people mean business." Deeks was stunned and Kensi couldn't help notice the fear in his voice. The devil-may-care, cavalier Deeks had been shoved aside and replaced with a worried and nervous Deeks as a feeling of dread seeped into every pore of his body. Kensi knew their undercover trip to Romania had been a first for him in some ways. Not that he hadn't come face to face with extreme situations before, but this time it was different. The stakes had been higher and the reasons were personal for some and all business for others. The Comescus were a force to reckon with and they were not going to take any more threats to their family business lightly despite the loss of their matriarch. Deeks had concluded they were in for a full frontal assault, and from here on in their lives were on hold until they met them on the battlefield for a final showdown. It was Kensi's turn to return to reason.

"Hunter should know how serious they are after she gets word from Dracul," Kensi added and looked over Deeks' shoulder to assess the damage. "But we're going to have to get better and more up to the minute Intel if we are going to prevent this type of attack from happening again. Besides, we don't even know for sure if it's the Comescus, Deeks. Callen has any number of collars that would love to see him dead and buried. I think the verdict is out until the evidence comes in."

Deeks looked back again at the carnage. Either way the threat would have to be dealt with and quickly. _Jeez, never a dull moment around here, _he thought_. _He longed for the days when all he had to worry about was a loaded gun held up to his face. Things were so much simpler then. "The jury might be out right now, but Callen's already decided. Right now he's being judge, jury and executioner, all rolled into one."

"Callen will be fine."

"Will he? Will he really? Look at the man, Kensi – really look at him. And then tell me I'm wrong. He's going to go lone-wolf on us, all over again."

"Callen's an experienced agent. He knows when to put his own personal feelings aside."

That stung. Deeks knew exactly what she was referring to: his old friend Ray. And probably Ray's ex-wife, Nicole. "Not this time," he disagreed emphatically. "Even you know you're wrong." Not willing to let her have the last word, he spun on his heel and stalked back into the Mission, wondering why he had ever thought this could work because they were water and oil.

"Bloody man!" Kensi fumed. She wasn't entirely sure if she was referring to Callen or Deeks. There was a fair chance she was referring to both of them.

* * *

><p>The funeral service for the murdered mechanic was held two days later. Callen had kept away from the Mission since the bombing, intentionally disregarding Hunter's directive to stay in teams and in close contact with Ops. He was smart enough to know that his own home would be the first place the Comescus would come looking for him. So he <em>borrowed<em> the keys of a safe house in the city that Hetty had let him use in the past for times of refuge or while undercover. He needed time to think and devise a strategy of attack. It was bad enough that he was the target of someone else's vendetta but now members of the Agency were dying because of him and this man would be the last one, if he could help it. Fool me once, shame on you; fool me twice, shame on me. And like the glorious Who anthem, he won't be fooled again.

Callen moved covertly over to the window and pulled the curtain slightly back to the side. The black Cobra had been parked there for the last 24 hours. Unfortunately, he knew he would never be able to keep his partner from holding vigil outside the house, despite the fact that being in close proximity to Callen meant putting your life in jeopardy as well. Callen admired Sam's loyalty and figured he would probably never have a closer friend on this planet other than the one sleeping outside in his car right now. Callen poured two cups of coffee and made his way down the drive to where Sam's car was parked directly across from the house.

"I hope you like it black because I ran out of cream," Callen said regretfully, passing the cup through the open window.

"I was beginning to wonder if you would ever come out of that bat-cave." Sam opened one eye and took the cup from Callen. It was clear he hadn't been sleeping. Every sound in the neighborhood was a possible threat to the man in the house. Sam learned a long time ago how to take short five minute cat naps while on military maneuvers. His SEAL training had served him well. But you couldn't keep on doing that indefinitely, not without amphetamines and he knew Hunter would throw ten-thousand fits before she would approve that. So right now, coffee seemed like a really good idea, because pretty soon he would be running on empty.

"It's been quiet Sam. Why don't you go home and get some rest?" Callen tried to bargain with Sam as he leaned up again the door of the car.

"I have a better idea. Why don't you grab your gear and come back to the Mission with me?" Sam took a sip from the cup. It was the approximate strength and consistency of tar, but it was hot and it had caffeine and that was all that mattered. "The team needs you back and I'm sure you have a plan of attack by now that you would like to share with all of us." He looked up hopefully, but Callen's face was blank and unreadable. It was time to push the point home. "You can't do this alone, G and you know that."

Callen shook his head and walked around the front of the car to get into the passenger seat.

Callen let the silence settle between them before he spoke. "This isn't your war, or even Hetty's for that matter," Callen began. "This started a long time ago for some ridiculous reason that I'm still not quite sure about it. And until that becomes clear, it's is my fight and my battle to win or lose and I'm not taking any one else down with me again."

Sam looked straight ahead down the empty street and shook his head slowly as if he agreed with his friend, but Callen knew he wasn't leaving without a fight.

"You should have thought of that a long time ago when we all followed you and your butt over to Romania," Sam spoke softly but surely. "Did you forget they have our pictures posted up on their 10 top wanted billboard, along with your mug as well? I doubt if we'll get away this time with a hand shake and a warning not to do it again."

Callen cocked his head to the right and let out a quick sigh. Sam was right of course; if the Comescus were the bad guys, Sam, Deeks and Kensi were all sitting targets, along with Hetty.

"Now, am I going to have to bring you back to the Mission under duress or are you going to go back into the house, pack your things and come all peaceful-like?" Sam raises one eyebrow and waits for an answer.

Callen got out of the car and slammed the door, only because Sam was right. He'd rather go it alone but in this case he had no choice and the inevitability of it all stung him.

Sam called out from his window and handed the empty cup back to Callen. "And never bring me coffee again without cream. It tastes like shit."

"What are you – my mother?"

"I used to be your partner, G. Remember?" Callen had been pushing hard and now Sam reckoned it was time he started pushing right back. "Trust's got to be to a two-way street. You knew I'd be right here, didn't you? Well, what about me? Who's watching my back?"

"So why don't you just stay away from me, then?" Callen placed his hands on the door and leant in. "I'm the one they're after, so just stay away from me and you'll be fine."

"It doesn't work like that. Like I said, they've got our photos too. We're all targets, Callen, not just you. This isn't just about you anymore. Wake up and smell the coffee." Sam looked at the empty cups in Callen's hands.

"And I made you targets." The enormity of it all hit Callen like a jack-hammer.

"We went of our own free will," Sam reminded him. "Nobody asked us. We're all big boys and girls and we make up our own minds."

"But I'm the senior agent, for God's sake." He needed to take the responsibility, needed to take the mantle of guilt upon himself.

Sam was implacable. "But you're not God, Callen. Enough with the delusions of grandeur. You're just another pawn in a much bigger game – just like the rest of us. We're either all in this together, or we're not in it at all."

The anger seemed to dissipate out of his friend's body with those last words, so that Callen sagged inwards. "Okay, you win. I'm an idiot and I'm putting this whole case at jeopardy. Happy now?"

"Ecstatic. Can I have that in writing please? Just for the record? Because Kensi and Deeks are never going to believe me."

"When hell freezes over. Give me five minutes, okay?" Callen went back inside and left Sam sitting in the car, thankful that tonight at least he would be getting more than just cat-naps. And then the darkness of the street was illuminated by a pair of bright headlights as a very familiar car pulled in behind him. The driver nodded coolly at him and Sam realized he was no longer needed here after all.

"Go home, Mr Hannah. You look like you need your beauty sleep." He watched as Hunter walked coolly up the path to Callen's front door, the stiletto heels of her shoes beating a staccato beat on the path and shook his head sadly. It looked like the peaceful neighborhood was about to experience some fireworks. But he was definitely surplus to requirements.

* * *

><p>"Right or left?" Deeks asked casually.<p>

Kensi looked at him as if he'd just grown horns. "Right or left _what_?"

"Side of the bed. I sleep on the left," he said helpfully.

"We're not sleeping together."

"Did I say we were? So - your place or mine?"

Sometimes it was like talking to a brick wall. "I just said we're not sleeping together." Kensi started to twirl her pencil between her fingers, trying to keep control.

"I don't want to sleep with you, Kensi," Deeks said, very slowly and very loudly, patience exuding in each syllable. Kensi tried not to cringe as she saw a number of heads pop up like a tribe of meercats. "I was just remembering Agent Hunter's instructions. You know – about how there's safety in numbers. Never being alone. Sticking together?"

"I'd rather be alone than have you in my bed," she spat in an undertone.

"Kensi, I really don't want to sleep with you. So stop harassing me." Deeks' voice was even louder this time. Every head in the Mission rose up at this and stared at them and he knew it, Kensi realized.

He had that familiar look on his face, that smug, self-satisfied '_I think I'm so great_' look and she could just smack him. "I'll be over around eight then, shall I?" Deeks said quietly and then sauntered off, humming under his breath. It sounded awfully like '_Let's Get Together Now'_ and Kensi stopped playing with her pencil and snapped it in two. She surveyed the broken pieces and wondered why everything in life couldn't be as simple as that.

"What are you lot staring at?" she demanded, aware that everyone was still looking at her and the heads shot back down again. Sometimes it was like living in a goldfish bowl, she thought.

After a few moments, she picked up Deeks' phone and fired off a quick text.

_If you have to come, at least bring food. Chinese. And beer._

Sometimes a girl just had to be pragmatic. He was going to come, after all. Nothing was more certain, because this was Deeks, after all. So he was definitely going to come and so was she, if you got right down to it - which they probably would. Again. And it was actually good to know which side of the bed he preferred, because they'd never actually made it into the bedroom over the weekend. They hadn't got much sleep either.

* * *

><p>Callen sighed at the peremptory knock on the door. "It's open," he yelled and continued stuffing his gear into a bag. He froze at the sound of unfamiliar footsteps, knowing with complete certainty that this was not Sam and that he had laid himself wide-open to ambush. It only took one tiny slip, just one moment's carelessness and that was it. He whirled around, gun already in his hand, only to find Hunter standing watching him with what might have been an amused smile on her face. But then Hunter could give the Mona Lisa a run for her money when it came to enigmatic.<p>

"Is that a pistol in your hand or are you just pleased to see me?" If Callen hadn't known better, he might almost suspect she had a sense of humor.

"Don't flatter yourself." _Because I won't._ "What are you doing here?"

Hunter shook her head and started to walk slowly across the room, walking like a catwalk model, so that the fabric of her long, black coat fluttered around her bare legs. It struck Callen that there was something very odd about this whole situation, something he could not quite read properly. Or rather, that if he was reading it properly, then he wanted to slam the book shut and run for his life while he still could.

"Didn't you understand my orders? My direct orders, Agent Callen? Specifically, the part about not exposing yourself to unnecessary dangers? I thought I should come over and tell you in person. One-to-one. Face-to-face." She was standing so close now that he could feel her breath on his cheek.

"So I see."

"Do you, Callen? Do you really? And what do you see now?" The coat slid off her shoulders and fell to the floor, leaving Hunter standing there, wearing nothing but a string of pearls around her neck and a pair of high heels. Her body glimmered pearly-white in the dim light of the room and she stood there, just watching the impact her naked body had on him, hips slightly thrust forward and a provocative look on her face.

"Temptation." Callen grabbed her by the elbows and pulled her into a rough embrace, his mouth searching and urgent, crushing himself against her. Hunter responded instinctively, her tongue probing with some desperate need, her fingers gripping onto his biceps and she gasped when he kissed her back hard, his tongue invading her mouth mercilessly.

"Don't do that." Callen pulled back when she bit his lip hard enough to draw blood and then let his fingernails rake cruelly down her back, but to his amazement she actually leaned into him, arching her back and almost purring with the painful sensation. _So she likes it rough_, he thought and let his fingers caress her breast briefly before twisting her nipple. Again there was that same shuddered intake of breath, and when he looked Callen saw that her eyes were half-shut with pleasure. He knew that she would already be slick with desire.

"Don't talk." Hunter's hands were at his waist now, unbuttoning his jeans and God help him, Callen knew he was already painfully hard.

"You're not the boss here. Not tonight." Callen let his fingers cup her and found out he was right. Hunter was ready for him: she was hot and moist and she was begging for it. She was the one who had come here but it was only sex. There was nothing more to it than that. It would be good to dominate her, just for once, to let her know exactly what that felt like.

Hunter squirmed against his touch, desire evident in every pore of her body and then her mouth was crushed against his, her hands were holding his head firmly in place and one long leg was lifted up to allow him access.

It was only sex; it was sex stripped down to the raw components, without any of the niceties and only the barest nod at foreplay. Callen slid in without further ado and simultaneously let his teeth sink into the soft flesh of her neck; and when she cried out and clenched him so tightly that he almost came at once, he could feel his mind slip away, so that this was no longer about himself and Hunter, but about release: sweet, blessed release. He thrust in deeply and got an absurd kick out of the way she groaned. It was rough, short, and totally without passion and afterwards he pushed her away.

Later, once she had left, he sat on the floor and wondered exactly who had use whom. It was the damnest thing, but he couldn't quite work it out. The instant it was over, Hunter had resumed her old, cold persona. She had shucked on that coat like it was a protective carapace and strode over to the door.

"I'll expect to see you reporting for duty at the Mission tomorrow morning, Agent Callen. No excuses or I will consider you absent without leave and send in a SWAT team to bring you in, kicking and screaming, if that's what it takes." Satisfied that she had made it abundantly clear who was in charge, Hunter left the house, her heels clicking across the floor, like the ominous sound of death-watch beetle.

So Callen sat on the floor and buttoned up his pants and wondered what the hell he had been thinking about. It had seemed so perfect: sex without strings and God knows he'd needed the release. But with Hunter? And without any protection? He was no better than some horny teenager. Callen had a nasty feeling he'd just played right into her hands and a whole lot of other places besides. He was so fucked.

* * *

><p><em>thank you for all the lovely reviews and alerts - they make us very happy!<em>


	4. Chapter 4

**Speaking with the Angel: Chapter Four**

_Everyone's talking, but Callen isn't listening... And Kensi and Deeks definitely aren't talking about what happened at Big Sur._

* * *

><p>"Deeks Delivery service – satisfaction guaranteed!"<p>

Kensi opened the door and glared at him. "You think you're so funny, don't you? So funny and so irresistible?"

"I brought Chinese," he said meekly and held out the bag. A delicious aroma wafted up to her nostrils and Kensi remembered that she hadn't actually eaten anything since lunch. Unless you counted that bear claw, which she didn't. That had been mere necessity, to keep her blood sugar levels up. "And beer." Deeks let the bottles rattle enticingly.

"Get in here. Before someone sees you." Kensi took hold of his jacket collar and pulled sharply.

"Or I could just go home?" Deeks had experienced warmer welcomes during a drug bust.

"You're here now, so you may as well stay."

"You only love me for my beer, don't you?" Deeks dumped the food on Kensi's overcrowded coffee table and then cracked open a bottle.

"I don't love you at all. Not one bit." Kensi watched as he tilted the bottle back and took a long swallow. "Aren't you going to give me one?"

"Give you one?" Deeks smirked. "Well, seeing you ask so nicely…"

"You know what I meant! Does everything always have to revolve around sex with you?"

"Pretty much. I'm a man. And you're a woman and we're right here… Only the food's getting cold. How about we eat and then you can jump on my bones afterwards?"

"Or not. How about we just eat?"

"You're so hard to please." Deeks cleared enough junk off the couch so there was a space to actually sit down on.

"A beer will do nicely."

"So you're a cheap date. I can live with that." He handed the beer and food across.

"I'm not any sort of date. I'd never go on a date with you, Deeks. Not unless it was for work. And that doesn't count." Kensi took a mouthful of noodles and sighed rapturously.

"And yet you drove all the way up to Big Sur to see me," he mused.

Kensi just about choked. "I didn't know you were going to be there," she protested.

"And yet you stayed. Of course, you'd seen me by then. All of me," he added suggestively.

"I'd come a long way. And no cheap cracks about coming, okay?" No way was Kensi going anywhere with the rest of his statement.

"Come on – give me a break, won't you? I didn't say a word."

"You didn't have to. I saw the look on your face. I don't want you, Deeks. Got that?" Maybe if she said it enough times she might start to believe it?

"Aww, come on Kensi – you know you can't resist me."

"I can't resist your Kung Po chicken, Deeks. There's a big difference."

"One of these days you'll realise you can't live without me." He grinned at her, completely unrepentant. "And I'm a patient sort of guy. I'll even watch some trashy TV, if ask nicely enough."

"_Teen Mom_?" Kensi suggested, picking up the remote.

"That is so wrong, on so many levels. But what the heck." Deeks swung his feet up onto the coffee table.

"Make yourself at home, why don't you?" There was more than a hint of sarcasm in Kensi's voice.

Deeks flashed her a blinding smile. "Thanks. I knew you'd come around. It's my charm, isn't it? Added to my hot body. Sorry it's not wet this time, unlike up at Big Sur." He couldn't help noticing the way she blushed when he mentioned that. "Does hot and wet equal _het_ I wonder? Or maybe it should be _wot_? What do you reckon?"

"I reckon you should shut up. The program's starting." Only it was going to be difficult to concentrate, given she was wondering what would happen next. For once real life was a hell of a lot more interesting than TV. IT was only a pity she didn't have a hot tub. That would have made things _really_ interesting.

* * *

><p>"I was wondering when you would pay me a visit." Hetty was still pale, and there were new lines of pain etched on her face, but she was still the same, inimitable, indomitable Hetty that Sam knew. "Even if it is rather early in the morning." She was wearing a brightly coloured kimono and sipping green tea.<p>

"I needed to see you before I went in to work." Eric had let it slip that Hetty had flown back to LA a couple of days beforehand. Since Sam had talked to Callen in front of the safe house , they hadn't uttered more than a few words in the past few days and his partner's mood had gone from bad to worse.

"You're worried about Mr Callen." It wasn't a question, it was a statement of fact.

"They blew up his car, Hetty."

"The Aston Martin...yes, I know. The cheeky buggers. Do you know how long the waiting lists are for those cars?" Hetty took a restoring sip of tea and then spread a thin layer of marmalade on a slice of toast.

"This one's personal, Hetty. And Callen's taking it hard. He's pulling away."

"Isn't it a good thing he has you then, Sam? To counter his worst excesses." It had been a good day's work, pairing those two together. Hetty had always prided herself on her ability to match complementary skills and personalities.

"I can't be there all the time. Not even if I wanted to." Sam had been pushed just about as far as he was willing to go and was nearly at the point of digging his heels in and saying 'enough'. Someone had to draw a line somewhere after all, and why shouldn't it be him for once?

"And you don't want to?"

Sam sighed. Once again Hetty was able to cut straight to the heart of the matter. "You know, I would if I could but this isn't just about Callen – it's about all of us. And if he goes all 'lone wolf' again, then he's putting all of us at risk."

"You went out on a limb for him before," Hetty reminded him.

"The branch is getting awful close to breaking right now, Hetty. And Hunter doesn't help."

"Ms Hunter is a complex lady, but she's very capable. Mr Callen is in good hands."

"Do you trust her?"

"I have no reason not to. No good reason. Unless you can tell me otherwise?"

Sam knew when he was backed into a corner. It was frustrating, but he had nothing concrete to offer up in evidence against Hunter. To be truthful, her main problem was that she wasn't Hetty. But he still didn't trust her. "I'd better get going."

"Be careful, Sam. And as they used to say in the X-Files – 'trust no-one'. " Hetty permitted herself a small, knowing smile. "By the way, did Mr Deeks and Ms Blye enjoy their weekend at Big Sur?"

"Dammit!" Sam had always known Hetty was sneaky, but he'd never had her pegged for being completely devious. A modern day fairy godmother...and without morals to boot.

* * *

><p>By the time Sam arrived at the Mission, Callen was sitting at his desk, engrossed in paperwork, wearing a permanent scowl on his face. Kensi and Deeks were bickering. No change there either. Same old, same old.<p>

"Hunter fixed you up with a new ride yet?" he asked and Deeks exploded with laughter.

"I'm sure you'll recognize it. Seems Hunter is into recycling. Guess the expenses budget is running on empty these days."

"It's very practical too," Kensi added, trying not to smile too broadly. It had irked her for some time that Callen and Sam got all the really cool cars. Well, Hunter had evened up the score this time.

"Only ridden every now and then by a probie LAPD detective who has been promoted and upgraded to a 2012 Mercedes for a job well done," Deeks said proudly. There was more than a hint of a smirk on his face.

"You're driving Deeks' Malibu? "Sam asked incredulously. "Are you serious?" He stared intently at Callen.

"I don't want to talk about it," Callen mumbled and went back to his paperwork.

"I hope you don't expect me to be seen in that car with you, 'cause it's not going to happen," Sam stated emphatically. He wanted to laugh at the irony of the situation. If the Comescus didn't pull Callen over the edge with them, then a cherry red Malibu would do the trick quite nicely...making Sam's job all the more harder. _Thank you very much, Hunter. You bitch. Talk about kicking a man when he's down. _

"If I didn't know better Deeks, I would think you're sleeping with Hunter," Kensi joked but glanced sideways at Deeks to gage his reaction.

"Ooooh, that is very creepy in so many ways," Deeks shook his head and then the rest of his body as if to shake off the cooties. Score one for Kensi.

_You don't know the half of it_, Callen mused sadly. Since they had engaged in the raw act of sex, Callen didn't know if he hated himself or Hunter more. It was probably more or less equal.

"Speaking of Hunter, where is the woman?" Sam asked the entire team but his eyes settled back on Callen again. Sam wasn't sure if anything happen after Hunter left him at the safe house. The last thing he watched was Hunter entering and closing the door behind her. When he asked Callen why she had shown up that morning, Callen's answer had been sketchy at best. He said they talked about the operation, their continued working relationship and other difficulties and then Hunter had driven him back to the Mission. Sam wanted to believe Callen, except nothing had changed. Callen was as quiet and ramose as before. Getting more than a sentence from him was near impossible. More happened behind those closed doors than he was ready to let on even to his partner.

"We haven't seen Hunter since..." Kensi answered but was stopped mid sentence.

The sound of a blown conch shell filled the open floor plan of the Mission. Eric blew into the shell once more time, just because he could.

"Boy, that felt good," Eric sighed in relief. It was almost as good as sex, in fact. All he needed now was a cigarette. Preferably a herbal one, hand-rolled and with a roach.

"The latest intel is in, ladies and gentlemen and your presence is requested in Ops by Director Vance," Eric smiled at the shell and hid it safely under his arm. Why take changes? Hunter could reappear at any moment.

"While the cat's away..." Deeks laughed as he followed the team up the stairs to Ops. It was good to see some semblance of normality was returning to the Mission.

Director Vance filled the Ops screen from his location in DC. His face showed no emotion, except for some mild of impatience as he watched the team filter into the room with no discernible urgency.

"Where's Hunter?" Callen demanded, going on the defensive immediately by taking the first shot at Vance.

"I was just getting around to that Agent Callen. She's still gathering intel on the Comescus. The surviving members of the family want the lap-top back. The information on that computer can link the organization to just about every illegal activity coming out of Romania over the last five years."

"So what?" Callen spit out. "They know we know." None of that was surprising. "What's really on that hard drive?" Callen probed.

"You're right, there is a program we are trying to encryption the lap top but so far access has been denied." Vance confirmed. "Mr. Beale, we would like you to take a look and perhaps offer your expertise as well." He chomped reflexively on the toothpick and Kensi wondered if it was some sort of displacement activity. She just didn't want to think what it was displacing.

"Of course, Director," Eric agreed apprehensively. He didn't like Vance and he certainly didn't trust him.

"And the car?" Did that just blow up by itself?" Callen was getting antsy. He still had no answers and decided to hold the Director's feet to the fire.

"It was your standard detonation device, nothing fancy. It was set to go off the next time you turned on the car."

"So tell me something I don't already know?" Callen said with just a hint of disrespect. He knew he was pushing it but he was tired of having all the questions and no answers.

"Miss Jones?"

Nell reached into a white evidence envelope and handed Callen a gold ring inside a clear plastic bag, Although it was scorched and melted from the blast of the explosives, the crest on the signet ring was still visible.

"This was found on the floor of what was left of your car," Nell said as she handed the ring to Callen.

Callen recognized the crest of the Comescu family. He crushed the ring in his palm and held it up to Vance.

"This is all the proof I need," Callen exploded. "It's time to move on the Comescus." It was a statement of fact and, more than that, of intent.

"Patience, Mr. Callen. There's more to this story that has to be considered." Vance let Callen's anger hang in the room for a few moments. He was not about to be rushed into anything – and he was in charge. Like it or lump it, Callen had to accept that fact.

"Hunter has been in touch with Dracul. The Comescus are after that lap top. They know NCIS has the computer and they are headed to LA to reclaim it. But Dracul is also coming to settle the score with you Mr. Callen, at least that's what he has told Hunter. He's after you and the car bomb was his first attempt. He will not let his grandmother's death go unanswered. I'm sure he knows by now that he's failed and he'll be back to try again. Dracul is continuing his family's vendetta against you."

"I should have killed him when I had the chance, but Hetty was my only priority at the time," Callen fumed.

"Well he's sure to make a second attempt. Hunter will be in touch later today with more information," Vance added. " I'm putting the Mission under full alert. All non-essential employees have been sent home for the time being or will be working from a remote location. We can't take the chance and expose anymore staff than we have to."

"And how is it that they even know the location of this building?" Deeks wonders. "The last time I looked this place wasn't highlighted on a map of Hollywood celebrity homes." The Mission was hidden in plain sight, and fortified by impressive, albeit unobtrusive security.

"It's not Detective, but the Comescus attached a GPS system to that bomb. They know now exactly where you live."

Deeks raised his eyebrows and let out a quiet whistle. "They thought of everything, didn't they?"

"Don't under estimate your opponents here people, or it will be the last time you do. I'll be back in touch soon as we have more information...until that time, be on alert." Vance turned and gave the sign to the operative to sever communications and the screen went blank.

Callen turned on his heels and left the room. _If he thinks I'm going to sit here and wait for them to come here..._

"Where's he going?" Kensi asked.

"I don't know but I'm about to find out," Sam grunted and followed Callen out the door.

Kensi and Deeks left the room in silence. As they stopped at the top of the stairs overlooking the first floor of the Mission, they watched their team mates trying to cope with the new status quo at the Agency.

Sam and Callen were arguing in a dark corner of the bullpen. Actually Sam was arguing and Callen was glaring intently.

Nell rushed by Kensi and Deeks and down the stairs barking into her bluetooth that she didn't care how long it was going to take to clear and pave the parking lot...she wanted it done within 24 hours...or else!

Eric was walking in the opposite direction, mumbling to himself. "_How am I going to break the encryption of an account that half the top Naval IT people had failed to unlock so far?" _He was damn good at his job and given enough time...maybe. But there was never enough time around this place. Everything has to be done yesterday! Why did that never bother him before? The idea of that joint was sounding better by the second.

Deeks turned around 360 degrees and took in the big picture.

"I feel like I'm starring in a remake of _The Thing_," Deeks started to ramble and his eyes glazed over. "I don't know who these people are any longer. Pretty soon these big ol' aliens are going to start popping out of their..." Deeks instinctively crossed his arms over his chest.

"I believe that was _Aliens_ but that's beside the point. Focus, Deeks!" Kensi grabbed her partner's arm. "I admit things here are a little out of control."

"You think?" _No shit, Sherlock._

"We need the help and advice from the one person who's always been the stabilizing factor in this organization..." Kensi let her voice trail off and nods her head at Deeks.

Deeks smiled at Kensi and they both agreed in unison. When the going got tough, you went to the toughest of them all. Tough, indomitable, and above all, 100% reliable.

"Hetty."

At least there was something they could agree upon without bickering about it. Apart from the fact that the weekend at Big Sur had been amazing – that went without saying. Which was just as well, because neither of them was talking about it.

* * *

><p>Kensi and Deeks walked through the immaculate formal garden to get to Hetty's hot-house. Inside, Hetty was sitting in a large wicker fan chair, her body cradled in a bowl of soft colourful pillows. Mozart's Symphony #29 in A was playing in the background. The soft violins filled the warm indoor garden with the beautiful calming music.<p>

"I don't know who enjoys Mozart more, me or my Peruvian lilies," Hetty smiled at her two agents as they walked up the flower lined path to her location. "And to what do I owe the pleasure of your visit?"

As much as she enjoyed seeing Kensi and Deeks, she was beginning to feel like her home was turning into Grand Central Station. But, if they were taking precious time away from the critical situation back at the Mission she reasoned, then they needed her. She took a deep breath and waiting for them to tell her why they had come.


	5. Chapter 5

**Speaking with the Angel: Chapter 5**

"Things are going to hell in a hand-basket, Hetty," Deeks said bluntly and caught himself. "Sorry. I should have asked how you're feeling."

"I'm making progress. Slow progress, but progress nevertheless. Can I presume you're having a little local difficulty?"

Kensi grimaced. "How about I give you the short version? Hunter sets everyone's teeth on edge and has now disappeared, going back under cover to get Dracul Comescu."

"If it is a cover." Deeks shrugged when Kensi glared at him. "I was only saying. I don't trust her, that's all. I don't trust anything about her. Never trust a woman whose face doesn't move when she smiles, that's what my Uncle Bernie always said."

"And since when have you actually seen the Ice Queen smile?" A shudder went down Kensi's spine and if she was superstitious she would have said a goose was walking over her grave. As it was, she just considered it a warning to stay away from Botox in the future. "Anyway, for some reason, she decides that now the Mission is under threat, this is the ideal time for her to pull a disappearing trick. Right after she's given Callen Deeks' old car."

"That I don't actually have a problem with," Deeks confessed.

"I'll bet Mr Callen did though!" Hetty was starting to fume. "Is she trying to deliberately provoke him into insubordination or something?"

"Probably. And Callen's rising to the bait. It didn't help that she's given Deeks a top-of-the-range, split-new Mercedes."

"With heated seats." Deeks clearly didn't have a problem with that either.

"This is LA – you don't need heated seats, Deeks."

"We might – if we went up to Tahoe later on in the year. There's some beautiful views up there –almost as good as Big Sur. And the skiing's not bad either."

"I don't ski," Kensi informed him tartly

"Really?" The way Deeks said it, you would almost believe that he thought everyone could ski. "Okay. We could snow board instead."

"You could. I couldn't. If I was going with you in the first place. Which I'm not. So, end of story."

"How about we just hire some horses and pretend to be the Cartwrights from _Bonanza_? No, don't tell me – you don't ride either? Or not horses at any rate."

"How about you tell me more about the threat to the Mission?" Hetty invited. Much as she was enjoying being a passive observer to this rather unusual courtship, there were some rather pressing matters to be elaborated on.

It was at this stage that Kensi realised that Hetty had not been in the slightest bit surprised to hear that Callen's car had gone to the great autoshop in the sky. "You knew about the Aston Martin blowing up, didn't you?" she said accusingly. Hetty had more layers that a game of pass the parcel.

"Mr Hannah might have let something slip. Or was it Miss Jones?" It was both, actually. Nell popped in most mornings and evenings to update Hetty on the latest events back at OSP and Eric texted her regularly with messages and was coming over at the weekend for afternoon tea. It was only Callen who had remained silent and aloof, and that bothered Hetty. While she had not publicised her whereabouts, all the other team members had managed to track her down. Everyone had been in touch – everyone except Callen. Was he holding a grudge? There was a fine line between sticking to one's principles and sulking, and Hetty felt that Callen was getting rather too close to crossing that particular line. "The Mission?" she prompted gently.

"The bomb had a GPS system attached, so now the Comescus know exactly where we are. Vance reckoned it was safest to instigate the disaster plan and relocate everyone else to alternative facilities. Only OSP is left at the Mission."

Hetty began to feel a vague stirring of unease. IF OSP was the target, rather than just Callen, surely they should have been moved as a matter of priority? Unless Vance was deliberately using her team as bait to pull the Comescus in?

"It's nice to feel wanted," Deeks said. "Makes me feel all warm and fuzzy. Not."

"Just keep looking over your shoulder, Deeks. Remember what Sam told you about basic safety precautions." Kensi had never quite got over his shooting and all those hours she'd spent sitting at the side of his bed. The fact that Deeks had been shot solely to get at her only made things worse, as did the fact he'd then had to drag himself out of the hospital to save her ass. She doubted she would ever shake that feeling of guilt and had never been able to talk to him about the incident.

Deeks glared at her. "That was a long time ago. So I slipped up. Give me a break, will you?" Sometimes he wondered if Kensi would ever see him as anything other than second best. Being treated like a slightly lacking child grew more than a little wearing. It wasn't like he was wet behind the ears or anything. What more did he have to do to prove himself?

"You can never be reminded too often of what a dangerous path we tread, Mr Deeks. Accept your partner's concern in the spirit it was intended."

Deeks gave Kensi a dazzling smile. "Thank you for caring, partner."

It was impossible to tell if he was being sarcastic, although Kensi had her suspicions. It also made it impossible to snap back and tell him she not only didn't care, she didn't give flying fig about him and that he should treasure the memory of Big Sur because it wasn't going to happen again. That time in the janitor's closet had just been sheer weakness on her part and they were definitely not going to talk about that ever again. It was just that she'd never been with a man who turned her on so much or one who made love to her in a way that made her whole body feel as it if was aflame with desire, so much so that she could only make weak sounds like a helpless kitten when he touched her. Only why did it have to be Deeks? Deeks, who flirted out of habit, who had a different girl every week and who certainly didn't have any feelings for her, other than purely carnal ones? Kensi had the definite feeling that she was falling in love with Deeks, and she really didn't want to go there. She'd been fighting that feeling for over a year now and she could be strong, she could resist the temptation… of course she could. So why did she now keeping thinking about rolling in snow with Deeks? Rolling in the snow with a naked, laughing Deeks and feeling his body press against hers?

"Are you alright, my dear?" Hetty asked solicitously. "It can get rather hot in here and you look a trifle flushed."

"I'm fine," Kensi mumbled and shot her partner a hard look. _Damn you, Marty Deeks. Why'd you have to go and mess things up again? You're the last person I want. I wouldn't take you if you came free with a packet of cereal._

* * *

><p>It had been a mistake, Callen knew that. He also knew it had only been sex, and was almost, but not quite, a zipless fuck. And he was quite clear about the fact that it should remain a one-off; and that it should never happen again. So exactly why were they up by the Hollywood sign having another meaningless encounter, this time in the front seat of the damned Chevvy Malibu? Was he suicidal or something?<p>

"I thought you were with Dracul?" He was holding onto her hair, holding it in a hank in his hand and pulling her neck back so that he could nip at her neck. Was he mad? Why was he doing something that would deliberately show Dracul she'd been with someone else?

"I was. And I will be again. But tonight I wanted you." Hunter ran her hand down the side of his face. "Dracul doesn't know how to please a woman."

"And I do." It was neither a question nor a statement, but rather something in between. "We're fulfilling a mutual need." _Don't ascribe anything to it than that. Don't think you know anything about me, because you don't._

Afterwards, when they were driving back, Hunter put her hand on his thigh and squeezed hard. "You need me, Callen. You need me as much as I need you."

He reached over and detached her fingers. "That's where you're wrong. I don't need anyone. I never have and I never will."

"And that's your whole problem summed up right there. No man is an island, Callen, not even you." She almost sounded wistful, he thought. "But if that's the way you want to play it, then that's fine by me. I'm not so sure about your team though."

After he dropped Hunter off at a hotel, Callen drove around aimlessly, trying to figure out where he was going and why. He knew that he was pushing away everyone he cared about and who cared about him (and there weren't that many in either category to begin with) but he couldn't seem to help himself. Right now it was as if he was walking down a narrow corridor with no doors to offer any choices, so that he just had to keep on going. Driving around in the night wasn't exactly going to solve anything, but it was better than going on home and staring into the darkness and wondering how the hell his life had go so messed up. Eventually, he found himself parking at the Mission, with no clear recollection of how he had got there. He spotted Sam's car, along with Deeks' new car and felt his indignation burn just a little hotter. Why should Deeks get a brand new Merc while he was stuck driving this crappy Chevvy?

"Having a party without telling me?" he snapped, striding onto the main floor. Kensi and Deeks were standing facing Sam, who was sitting at his desk.

"Would have sent you an invitation..." Deeks said laconically. "Only your cell was switched off.

Kensi turned around and her eyes were blazing. "Hunter said we were all at risk, that we should stay in pairs. And you go off on one of your infamous absences."

"I'm fine," Callen protested. He really didn't need this.

"That's more than can be said for your partner." Kensi pulled Deeks to one side and for the first time Callen was able to see his partner.

"Aw, shit. What happened to you?"

"The Comesus were looking for you," Sam mumbled through a split lip. "Only they found me instead."

Callen stared down at Sam waiting patiently for him to explain his injuries.

"I got this in the struggle," Sam pointed to his head. "But they got scared off by a cop car patrolling the area and I lost them."

"They ambushed him at your house," Kensi said accusingly as she cut a long strip of gauze for Sam's head wound and padded it into a ball.

Deeks watched Kensi in amusement as she struggled to mould the strip of cloth into a bandage. "Florence Nightingale has nothing on you, does she? Here, give it to me." He took the first aid supplies and began to fashion a Red Cross certified bandage and handed it back to Kensi. "I'll let you do the honours."

Sam sat slouched in his chair with an ice pack balanced gently on the top his head. Kensi removed the pack and wiped the blood off from the side of Sam's face. He grimaced as she gently applied the bandage.

"Maybe you ought to see a doctor for that," Callen said quickly with a hint of remorse.

"And maybe you should be with your team instead of having me chase your butt all over LA," Sam countered slowing while raising his voice with each word.

Nell was rushing from Ops but stopped at the top of the stairs to listen to Callen and Sam's outburst as it played out below her in the bullpen. Kensi and Deeks had already taken a step back when the big man raised himself out of his chair to direct his anger solely at Callen.

"How many times do I have to tell you to stop following me around like a lost puppy? I don't need your help," Callen yelled.

"Oh really, and I guess you can handle this whole mess by yourself now?" Sam growled. "Why don't we all go home, the great G Callen has got us all covered!"

Nell ran back into Ops, having heard enough. This had gone way beyond the jovial bickering the two men normally engaged in – this was getting far too personal. Stepping gingerly over Eric who was taking a brief nap on the Ops floor, wrapped up in a suspiciously familiar sea-foam green slanket, Nell clicked on her bluetooth and dialled Hetty.

"Who are you calling at this time of the night?" Eric asked as he pulled himself off the floor. His body ached but not as much as the pounding that was coming from the back of his head after pulling a 24 hour shift to try break the Comescu's laptop code.

"Callen and Sam are going to kill each other," Nell gasped out of breath. "I'm going to have to act fast if I'm going to prevent this blood bath." Even Eric could hear the argument as it violently filled the air.

"I'm telling you Sam, I don't need this bullshit. Get off my back." Callen was in Sam's face. It was Alpha to Alpha right now and nether one was backing down. Kensi sighed loudly: any minute now and they would be comparing the size of their dicks. It was almost a pity Deeks was staying out of this one, because she knew he would win that little argument hands down.

Deeks was the first to see the medium size monitor next to the bullpen pop on. Hetty's face filled the screen.

"Tell that to this side of my head..." Sam bellowed, pointing at the contusion, only partially oscured by Kensi's rather inept bandaging.

"Enough! Both of you!" Hetty's voice filled the first floor of the Mission, bouncing off the walls and echoing down the hall. "I don't remember running a day care centre before I left for Romania!" she spat out in anger.

Callen threw his head back and raised his eyes to the glass skylight. He couldn't meet Hetty's eyes. _This damn night was just getting better and better_, he groaned to himself.

Sam threw himself back down in his chair and crossed his arms over his chest, imitating the petulant child that Hetty accused him of becoming.

"Mr. Deek, Ms. Blye, could I have a minute alone with your colleagues?" Hetty asked. The bullpen became very quiet as the agents slipped quietly away.

Hetty looked at the two men, standing worlds apart, both physically and emotionally. If she was going to save this friendship, she was going to have to find a way to smooth over the hurt and do some serious talking and fast.

"Sam, Callen it saddens me to see you both in this frame of mind. I feel somewhat responsible since my mission to Romania was the catalyst. You two are like brothers, and the closest of family. I know I failed to put an end to the Comescus' vengeance against your family Mr. Callen, but you need to work together to end this vendetta now."

Callen shifted from side to side. He briefly looked up at the screen but couldn't deal with the look of reproach on Hetty's face.

"Mr. Callen you are angry and waiting for answers and I have some but there are many more questions than answers right now. But I promise we will work together to find the pieces of the puzzle."

"And you Mr. Hanna, you know your partner well enough to know that these feelings have plagued him for a long time and this is a turning point. Not that his activities should be tolerated or ignored but you are going to have to give him his space and sometimes the ability to go it alone. You need to be there when he needs you but you can't be there 24/7. Period. End of story."

Hetty lowered her voice and her tone became softer as she continued.

"Watching your partner get shot two years ago in front of your eyes was very traumatic for you. You blame yourself for not getting to him in time and you've been trying to make up for it ever since. But short of throwing yourself in front of him every time the bullets start flying, you will never be able to save him from himself in the end."

Sam and Callen took their eyes off the screen long enough to glance over at each other. Callen gave Sam a weak smile and Sam shook his head in agreement with Hetty.

"Please gentlemen, I beg you. Mr. Callen, be there for your partner and the team and stop hiding in your shell. It's time to put the greater good ahead of your own. We will find answers to your questions. And Mr. Hanna you need to remind him when he strays and keep him on the right path but overlook it when he fails."

"You can only do you best gentlemen. Do I make myself clear?"

"Of course," Sam conceded. "I'm sorry you had to get involved, Hetty."

"Sometimes it just takes a fresh perspective Sam. And Callen when you are ready, we will talk."

Callen nodded his head but couldn't admit repentance. He would give his life for this woman and he almost did. But he needed time to figure out where he stood in this new post Comescu world. Where ever it lead him he knew Hetty and Sam would be waiting on the other side for him.

"I'm sorry for interrupting you guys," Eric's face popped on the screen in a small box to the right of Hetty. "We just got an audio communication from a group called The Romanian Cartel Alliance and they want that lap top back...or else." Eric cocked his head to the left waiting for the next directive.

"I will contact Director Vance and have him recall Hunter," said Hetty. "Work together gentlemen...the next 24 hours will be critical." The screen went blank.

"Come on," Callen led the way up to Ops but stopped half way up the stairs and turned around to face Sam. He extended out his hand. Sam waited a few seconds before he returned the handshake.

"Are we good?" Callen asked.

"If we aren't, we will be."

"Yes, we will." Callen agreed as the partners continued on their way up to Ops.


	6. Chapter 6

**Speaking With The Angel: Chapter Six**

"Romanian Cartel Alliance," Deeks mused. "RCA. Really? Is it just me, or does anyone else think those initials are already taken?"

"What they call themselves is the least of our problems right now," Callen snapped. "Just keep your attention on the problem in hand for once in your life, okay? Do us all a favour and cut the smart remarks or get the hell out of here. We don't need you distracting us again. Understood?" He was still processing the audio demand for the immediate return of the laptop. There were no specified threats, but then they already knew that this terrorist group would stop at nothing. If indeed they were an actual group, rather than a loose association of disaffected individuals. But one thing was clear – whatever they were, they represented a clear and present danger. There had to be a reason the demand was made by audio only, he thought. Why weren't they willing to put up some sort of propaganda image at the very least? As he was working through all this Kensi stepped directly in front of him, so that Callen was forced to look at her.

"Cut the crap." There was no room for negotiation in her voice. "Just because you're in a strop, there's no need to take it out on the rest of us. You're behaving like a baby that's thrown its rattle out of the crib. I don't know what's going on in your head, Callen, but you're playing right into their hands. Do you actually want to pull this team apart from the inside out? Because that's where we're going right now."

"She's right, G." It looked like Sam wasn't the only team mate Callen had issues with. More than anything Sam wished that Hetty was back in charge and that Hunter was nothing more than a bad memory.

"Someone has to keep him in line." Callen balled his fists together. Normally he actually found Deeks' off-hand remarks pretty amusing, but today they had just set his teeth on edge.

"He's not a dog, Callen. He's my partner and our team member." Kensi wondered why she felt so strongly about this, and why Callen was being so petty. It wasn't like him. Surely he couldn't still be sore about Deeks getting the Merc? Because that would just be silly. Unless… Deeks was the last person to be defined by the type of car he drove – but what about Callen? Could it be that Hunter had honed onto his weakness and was deliberately trying to emasculate the senior agent, to lower him in the perceived pecking order? And surely Callen wouldn't be so callow as to fall for that – would he? Only the world was turned upside down right now and nothing was quite the way it should be.

Callen knew when he was backed into a corner. Even Eric was giving him a cold stare. "Okay, that was probably uncalled for." It wasn't quite an apology, but it was the best he could do, under the circumstances. He turned around, but Deeks had already left Ops and the doors were closing behind him.

* * *

><p>"Don't sulk. You're too old to sulk like some little kid who's been sent to bed early." It had taken Kensi a good half hour to finally track Deeks down to the secure storage area where the laptop was currently residing.<p>

"I'm not sulking – I'm thinking. There's a difference." For once Deeks let the statement about bed slide by without comment, which was a sure sign something was wrong, Kensi thought.

"That's not thinking – I know your thinking-face." She knew pretty much every expression on his face by now. "When you're thinking, your eyebrows scrunch up and your right eye narrows. And what you're doing right now is pouting."

"Whatever. You're NCIS, so of course you'd know better. Tell me, when you signed the papers, did the hand of God come down from heaven, touch your head and grant you immediate infallibility?"

"He didn't mean it, you know."

"I don't actually care, Kensi. You can all think whatever you want – it's a free world." _What the hell more do I have to do here? And do I even care any more?_ Deeks continued to stare at the laptop as if it was the Rosetta Stone.

"I think you probably need some coffee." Kensi would play any card she had in her hand right now. "Come on, Deeks – don't be mad. Coffee – and I'm buying. I'll even get you a brownie." She smiled as beguilingly as she knew how, but for once he wasn't looking at her – he was still gazing at the laptop, as if it held all the answers. Which it possibly did – if only they could break through the encryption.

"You're the one with the chocolate fixation, not me." Deeks powered up the laptop and stared in frustration at the screen. "How about you go on ahead and I'll catch up with you later?"

"We're supposed to be partners, remember?" _You're pushing me away, Deeks. Don't push too hard, or I might just push back._ "And if Eric couldn't crack the encryption codes, what chance do you have?"

"I know. You don't have to remind me. I know I'm just the guy on loan from LAPD, while you, Sam and Callen are all kick-ass agents." There was something niggling away at the back of his mind and he got up and started to rifle through one of the evidence boxes they'd brought back from Romania. It was probably stupid, but what the heck? He was good at being stupid.

"Do us all a favour and stop feeling sorry for yourself." There was only so much 'wounded puppy' Kensi could take before she would eventually succumb and rush over and plant her lips on his, so the best thing was to get out while she still could. There was enough going on without adding animal attraction into the mix. Surely Deeks had to know that when he pouted any red-blooded woman found it hard to resist the temptation to kiss him? But it was only basic attraction, nothing more. Deeks was her partner and that was all there was to it. She felt nothing for him, absolutely nothing. Kensi crossed her fingers. If the scent of freshly brewed coffee didn't jolt him out of this mood, then maybe she'd have to try something else.

Kensi was about to leave on the coffee run when she noticed Deeks pulled out an IPod and its connection cable from the myriad of evidence brought back from the Commescu house. _Okay, it's probably as a stupid idea, but surely it's worth trying? What have we got to lose?_ Only nothing happened, except that the IPod lit up and showed that it was synching, while the laptop started to make familiar whirring sounds, but it wasn't like it sprung into life. Damn. And he'd been so sure. _Wrong again, Deeks. Could this day get any worse?_

That was the last coherent thought Deeks had, because then there was a muffled noise, like someone had swung a sledgehammer into solid rock and the back wall of the storage room exploded into thousand pieces and came flying towards him in a barrage of rocks.

"Get out of here, Kensi!" Deeks was diving for the ground, pulling the table down after him in a desperate attempt for some protection when a boulder hit him squarely on the side of the head and the world went red as the pain shot through his entire body and then it turned completely black as he slumped into unconsciousness.

* * *

><p>"Kensi!" There were probably times in his life when Callen had run faster, only right now he couldn't recall any of them as he raced downstairs from Ops and then sprinted across the main floor. Standing in the corridor, panting and feeling like his heart was going to leap out of his chest, his lungs screaming for oxygen, he surveyed the damage with a sinking sensation. "Kensi?"<p>

"I'm all right." Her voice was faint and sounded a long way off, but then there was a whole mountain of debris blocking off the rooms towards the end of the access way. A concrete lintel had collapsed and it looked as if the whole area was inaccessible without heavy lifting equipment.

"And Deeks? Is Deeks okay?" Sam looked at the rubble and started to calculate how much explosive would have been required to create that sort of havoc. _Too much_, he thought. _Too damned much. How did they manage to get past all our defences – again?_ Of course, with the Mission operating on a skeleton staff, they had rather left the door open invitingly.

In what was left of the storage room, the exit now completely blocked by fallen masonry, Kensi crawled over to where she last saw Deeks collapse to the floor. When she found him, she knelt down and cradled his head in her lap and brushed some of the dust out of his face. "He's unconscious and he's got a bad head wound." And that was the good news. "He needs medical attention, guys. Urgent medical attention." She tried not to look at the strange angle his left leg was lying at, or the boulder that had crashed down and was pinning the limb to the ground.

"Shit." Callen leant against the wall and tried to think. It wasn't easy, given the siren that was screaming out blue murder and the flashing lights that distracted coherent thought. The note of despair in Kensi's voice had come through loud and clear.

"Hang in there Kensi," Callen called through the rubble. " We're going to have to find a way to you."

Dust and debris was falling like snow around the mission floor. It sparkled on the floor around the fallen glass from the sky light that had shattered in millions of pieces from the force of the blast.

Callen turned to Sam hoping his partner had a better idea how to get to Kensi and Deeks because other than digging with their bare hands he was out of options. Sam shrugged his shoulders with a desperate grimace on his face. Close behind, Nell watched as the two agents stared at the catastrophe in front of them. Callen finally turned around and took control.

"We got to get emergency facilities up and running and we're going to need special machinery if we're going to break through this wall of rubble," Callen called out to the techs.

"I'm on it," Eric scrambled to one of the consoles in the bullpen and brought up back up generators. He pulled out a note pad and began to notify the city emergency units regarding their situation. Nell joined him and stood quietly behind with her arms wrapped tightly around her upper body. She was still shaking from the impact of the blast. A single tear fell down her cheek as she trembled in fear. If the cartel was trying to scare the otherwise unflappable ops analyst, they were doing one hell of a job. Deeks was down and they could be next.

"Nell, hand me that cable. Nell?" Eric turned to find the young woman starring ahead in horror at the blocked corridor. She was mesmerized, watching Callen and Sam trying to dig their way through to their trapped team mates. Nell held her hand up to her mouth to keep from sobbing.

"Nell? Nell?" Eric turned Nell around and grabbed his friend's upper arms. He shook her sharply.

"I'm so scared," she sobbed. "How did this happen?" She cried. Eric pulled Nell into his arms.

"Listen, I need you now, Nell. Don't bail on me! Do you hear? Concentrate! Do what you do best. We got to get help to Deeks and Kensi and then find out how this happen. OK?"

Nell shook her head slowly and looked into Eric's concerned eyes. Eric and Nell were partners in every way as much as Kensi and Deeks and Sam and Callen. They worked together as a tightly woven unit and without her he couldn't finish his sentences, literally or figuratively. He needed her to have his back. Right now more than ever.

Nell raised her head with a new found resolve and Eric could see a glimpse of the old Nell he had come to depend on. He brushed away the last tear from her cheek and Nell smiled and reached behind her for the cable.

"Here, I think you were looking for this. I'm going to notify headquarters and Hetty and then get agency backup, including Hunter." Nell picked her way out of the bullpen and headed up to Ops.

"That's my girl!" Eric beamed. Nell turned and smiled at her colleague but didn't let that last line go totally unnoticed. Was she his girl? Or was it just a term of endearment? Something to explore for another time, for sure. But for now she had more important things to attend to and scurried up the stairs.

Eric looked back at Callen and Sam who stood in front of the cave-in. Both agents had dirt streaking down their faces and all over their clothes. Sweat poured from their temples and mingled with the dirt. They had merely made a dent in the avalanche of debris before them despite the blood caked under their nails from clawing away at the shards of concrete and sheetrock.

"I've got all the municipal agencies alerted to our situation. They should be here shortly." Eric reported.

"Kensi, we have help coming, but we can't get to you without reinforcements," Callen called through the rubble.

"Hurry Callen, please," Kensi cried out.

She looked around the darken room to assess the damage. By some miracle the lighting was still working, although God only knew how. All exits were completely blocked. Shredded wires and overhead panels were hanging around them by a thread and a strange odor of gas permeated what was left of the fresh air that was slowly ebbing away in the completely devastated room.

"Callen, I could be wrong but I think we may have a gas leak down here," Kensi shouted.

"Eric?" Callen turned to Eric but the Ops teach was already pushing buttons and trying to locate the source of the leak in the building.

"The Mission doesn't use gas, so it must have been there from before when NCIS renovated the structure. There might be an old underground pipeline that's causing the leak."

"Can you get the original schematics of the building?" Sam inquired.

"I'll try but the LA Department of Water and Power might be able to tell us what we're dealing with a whole lot faster," Eric reasoned. "But until I can find out, you may want to evacuate the rest of the staff before this whole building goes boom!"

"I'll do it," Sam volunteered and began to canvas the Mission for any remaining staff and crew members still left in the building.

* * *

><p>Callen returned to the blocked off corridor and tried to look through the small openings in the rubble. He hated feeling so impotent… but there was nothing he could do other than wait.<p>

"Kensi, how's Deeks?" Callen called out again.

"He's hanging in there, but I don't know how much longer."

"And you?"

Kensi had been so focused on Deeks she didn't even feel the laceration on her leg she received when a pipe had ripped off the wall and cut through her jeans producing the unsightly gash. She couldn't be bothered with the pain, it would have to wait.

"I'm fine, just get him out!"

Kensi placed her first two fingers on Deeks carotid artery and was relieved to still find a pulse, although a weak one. The cut on his head was bleeding profusely as most head wounds tend to do. Kensi ripped the sleeve off her blouse at the shoulder and furnished a bandage around his head from the cloth. She smiled, remembering with embarrassment Deeks' assessment of her first aid skills. _Well, he's going to have to take what he gets here….there will be time to attend Red Cross classes later_. She applied pressure to stave off the bleeding and hoped it held or Deeks would need a complete blood transfusion by the time they pulled them out of this mess.

She was scared to even think of what other damage was going on under the boulder that had Deeks pinned down. She was going to have to try and move it to find out. She slowly lowered Deeks' head to the ground and a low groan slipped from his throat. _Well, at least he could still feel pain, that had to be a good sign,_ she thought. She moved in front of the boulder and studied every angle before she decided the best way to free Deeks' body from the weight.

Kensi positioned herself in front of Deeks and shifted her weight to her toes, squatted down and placed the palms of her hands on the huge rock. With one fluid movement, she lifted and pushed the bolder with all the upper body strength she could muster. The rock slid off Deeks' lower frame and landed with a thud besides him. _I guess there's something to be said for a pure adrenaline rush over sheer brute force_, Kensi mused.

Deeks began to groan louder and Kensi flew to his side.

"Deeks, can you hear me?" Kensi asked. She wiped the fresh blood from the side of his face and began to apply pressure again to the wound. She slowly stroked his opposite cheek in response to his pain.

Deeks' eyes began to flutter as he moved his head from side to side. He tried to focus but his pupils were dilated and it made it harder for him to focus.

Kensi knew Deeks was going into shock. If help didn't come fast, her partner was a dead man.

"Deeks, look at me," Kensi ordered.

"Kensi?" Deeks moaned again. "Where are you?" Deeks lifted his hand in the air trying to find where her voice was coming from. "Who turned the lights out?"

"I'm here Deeks, right here." Kensi grabbed his hand and held on tight. "Look at me."

"Everything is black, I can't see you Kensi," Deeks cried out in confusion. His pupils were so huge his eyes looked dark.

Kensi leaned over and gathered Deeks up in her arms and held him close to her chest. Her heart was beating faster than a racing thoughbred. "It's okay, Deeks, I'm here, you're going to be alright. I promise I won't let anything happen to you." Kensi whispered close to his ear as she rocked him gently back and forth.

"Don't make any promises you can't keep, baby girl."

Kensi silently gasped at Deeks acceptance of the situation. _He knows he's failing and I can't do a damn thing to stop it._

"Deeks, you got to stay with me. You know that old saying? _"If you die on me, I'll kill you?" _Well, I really will kill you and you know it. Besides, you can't go anywhere yet….We have too many arguments left to fight and all those beers to drink in my fridge and, and…Oh, god damn it Deeks, I need more time to figure out how to tell you… tell you… that…" Kensi's words were caught up in her throat. She tried not to cry but her voice gave her away.

Deeks smiled and closed his eyes. "I know….I love you too, Fern." Deeks was unconscious again and Kensi inhaled in despair as she pulled him closer to her bosom.

"Please, dear God, help us," Kensi prayed. She would give her own life for this man in a heartbeat. If that wasn't true love she didn't know what was…but now it was hanging by a thread.


	7. Chapter 7

**Speaking with the Angel: ****Chapter 7**

Callen and Sam watched as the municipal fire and safety teams raced into the Mission in response to the bomb that was set in the bowels of the building.

Callen directed them to the area where the collapsed section of the building was covering the entrance to the supply room and effectively cutting off all access to Kensi and Deeks.

The only NCIS employees left in the building besides the emergency teams were Sam, Callen, Eric and Nell. The next move would be to relocate the Ops tech team to a safer location. Sam pulled out his cell phone.

"Hetty?" Sam asked.

"Mr. Hanna! I have been so worried since I got the call from Eric," Hetty cried. "Please fill me in."

Sam proceeded to describe the damage and voiced his concern about Kensi and Deeks trapped below in the rubble. But first they had to relocate Ops.

"We need to move Nell and Eric to a safer location but some place they can still be productive. What about your home, Hetty?"

"Of course, I would appreciate the company at this point anyway," Hetty agreed. "Please send them over. No word from Hunter yet?"

"Not that I know of," Sam responded. _What use was she going to be at the point?_ Sam thought. Hunter was only going to confirm what they already knew, which was that the Comescus and the Alliance would take responsibility for this act of terrorism. They didn't need Hunter to tell them that.

"Alright, keep me advised, Mr. Hanna and I will debrief Director Vance." The link to the cell connection terminated.

Sam found Callen talking to the fire chief. They were arranging to bring in the heavy equipment to remove the debris. An employee from LA Department of Water and Power had also arrived and confirmed there could be left over remains of a gas supply system buried beneath the building. The company was looking into ways to cut off any supply that still may be feeding into the old pipes, and only once they were able divert the source, could the team begin the rescue mission. Until that time it would be too dangerous to proceed. Any heavy machinery might set off another avalanche and a possible second explosion.

Sam left them to talk logistics and picked his way gingerly over to what was left of the bullpen. Eric turned to face Sam. "I just got a message from Hetty that Nell and I are to relocate Ops to her home. Is this true?" he asked.

"Yeah, it's not safe here anymore," Sam explained. "We need you both working out of a secure location."

"But Kensi and Deeks need us too," Nell stated emphatically as she joined the two men. "I won't go until they are safe." Eric nodded in agreement with his partner.

"Listen closely, Nell. You too, Eric. Your work here is done. We need direction and leadership and the only person who can provide that right now is Hetty. Your place is with her," Sam said. The agent looked at the junior techs with compassion and lowered his voice. "She's going to need you. And you'll be of more help to Deeks and Kensi if she's directing this operation. Besides we're dead in the water here."

Nell looked at Eric, all the while shaking her head from side to side in a mixture of despair and annoyance. She knew Sam was right but she hated leaving her teammates behind. She turned to face him. "Promise me they will be alright," she demanded.

"I give you my word, we will do everything to get them out safely," Sam agreed. That was the best he could do, under the circumstances. "Now pack your things and get straight over to Hetty's."

Eric and Nell reluctantly gathered what they could find and use at their new Ops location. Nell turned one last time to watch the rescue teams at work. She prayed to the NCIS gods she would see her colleagues again in better times.

* * *

><p>Kensi could hear the incessant clanging of the removal equipment. She knew reinforcements had arrived but how long would it take to make their way through to the room where they were entombed? The air was thinning as the oxygen began to disappear and she tried to breath as little as possible. There was no way she was going on without him. If Deeks dies down here, they might as well just stop their work, board up the entrance and mark the site with their tombstone.<p>

_Here lies Kensi Blye and Martin Deeks. At least he had the courage to say I love you._

"Balls!" Kensi spat out. "I can't live without Deeks, you got to make it. I swear if we get out alive, I'll never stop telling you how much I love you…never!" Kensi rocked Deeks gently in her arms. She kissed him softy on his forehead and leaned her cheek next to his. Her head was spinning as the lack of breathable air gently lured her to sleep. She raised her chin to rest softly on top of Deeks's golden curls and slept.

* * *

><p>Callen paced nervously back and forth in front of the rescue workers. He hadn't heard from Kensi in more than 30 minutes. "Come on you guys, they don't have much longer inside that room," Callen pleaded to the rescue teams. Sam knew they were both at a breaking point.<p>

"Look, until we are sure the gas leak is no longer a threat, we have to proceed with caution," advised the fire chief. Callen turned away. "Shit."

"There's nothing we can do but believe they'll make it G," Sam walked over to Callen.

"If they die it will be my fault, Sam," Callen said in anguish. "Deeks left Ops because he was angry at me. He put his life on the line to help me and Hetty and this is how I repay him." Callen cursed again in anger.

Sam couldn't find the words to contradict his friend. He was right. His foul mood since he returned from Romania had affected all his team mates. It took this tragedy to finally knock him to his senses.

"We got to concentrate in getting them out now G. You can feel sorry for yourself later." Sam was distracted by one of the workers waving to them for their attention. "Come on, they're calling us over."

The LA Department of Water and Power worker was able to confirm that his crew had successfully diverted the gas supply line around the Mission. It was safe now to begin the excavations to rescue the trapped NCIS agents inside.

"Kensi!" Callen yelled out. "Can you hear us?" Silence. Were they too late? Callen took a deep breath and started to work alongside the rescue team and the removal equipment. No one was dying on his shift today. Not if he could help it.

The process was slow and arduous, but after twenty minutes Callen could finally see a break through into the hall and the area that use to be the supply room. Callen was about to climb through the debris but was held back by Sam.

"It's not safe yet G!" Sam yelled. "Let them finish!" Callen stood down and backed away. He wiped the back of his hand across his forehead. This was unbearable. He couldn't wait for them to finish.

His cell phone rang.

"Mr Callen?" It was Hetty. "Things are going from bad to worse. NCIS just got another message from the Alliance. I don't know how this happen but Hunter's cover has been compromised. Dracul is holding her captive and will kill her unless we turn over the laptop."

Sam could hear Hetty's message.

"I'll stay here and see this rescue through. You go," Sam said.

"Ok, let's get this over once and for all," Callen agreed. "Give me the details, Hetty." He cursed in a dozen different languages as Hetty relayed the instructions for a meet. "I might not be able to get her out alive, you know," he cautioned. "The laptop is buried along with Kensi and Deeks. I don't even know if it survived the blast."

"Be creative, Mr Callen. You're good at that. Stall for time, if you have to."

"Time is something we've not got a whole lot of right now," he countered. "Especially not Deeks."

"There's nothing you can do about that, is there? You are only one man, and as I understand it, there are teams of people, people with skills in disaster scenarios, already on scene. What difference could you make?"

Callen gritted his teeth. "I could be there," he said lamely. "I could be there for them."

"My goodness, this must be a very bad connection. For a moment I almost thought I heard you confess to having some feeling towards your team-mates. But that couldn't be possible, could it?"

"Okay, I care. Are you happy now?"

"Not really. How could I be happy when one half of my team is trapped, and you are off on some private vendetta? Luckily I still have Mr Hanna. I know I can rely on him to do the right thing." She severed the connection, leaving Callen staring at his own cell blankly.

"I am going to kill that woman when I see her," he vowed. Sam wondered vaguely if his partner was referring to Hunter or Hetty and then decided it didn't really matter. He watched as Callen stalked angrily out of the Mission and then returned his attention to the disaster area. Everything was going to hell in a hand basket. Nothing had been right since Hunter turned up and he had this dreadful feeling things were only going to get worse. And G – what was up with the man? And exactly what was going on between him and Hunter? Sam thought about this, and then decided he didn't want to think about it. Sure, she was superficially attractive, in a frozen, icy sort of way, but he'd never found necrophilia a turn-on – quite the reverse, in fact. Callen seemed in danger of losing all sense of perspective over this whole situation, and Hunter was the catalyst. Deep down, Sam did not trust her. He didn't trust her an inch and if his suspicions were answered, then Hunter was going to have a lot of explaining to do. And he was personally going to interrogate her. Nobody did this sort of thing to his team and walked away scot-free. Nobody – no matter who they were, starting the President himself. Hunter was not immune just because she worked for NCIS. She wouldn't be the first traitor in their midst, and she probably wouldn't be the last, but she would have to answer to him.

* * *

><p>"Kensi? They're about to start breaking through. Cover your head, just in case." Sam shouted as loudly as he could. "You hear me?"<p>

"I heard you. There's not much air left in here, Sam." Kensi's voice sounded thin and weak.

"We'll be as quick as we can." Sam looked back at the paramedics on standby to make sure they had got that and was relieved to see they already had oxygen to hand. "How's Deeks?"

Kensi let her hand run tenderly over the mussed-up fair hair that was stained with blood. "Not good. Not good at all."

"You've got to get out of the way now." A fire-fighter literally manhandled Sam to one side as his crew came through with the heavy equipment. By now the gas had been turned off, and vulnerable parts of the building shored up. All that was left to do was to remove the debris blocking the corridor and Kensi and Deeks could finally get the medical attention they deserved.

"Just get us out of here!" Kensi bawled, with all the delicacy of a fishwife and then hunched her body protectively over Deeks, just in case. There was no way she was moving and leaving Deeks exposed to further danger

A hole appeared in the wall of rubble, and then the blessed sight of Sam's face, eye's blinking as the dust settled. "Kensi?" He could hardly make out anything in the dim light.

"I'm fine." She uncurled and looked at him gratefully. "And you're a sight for sore eyes." Her hand lingered regretfully on Deeks' head and as Sam's eyes adjusted to the light, he could see that Deeks was unconscious, and more than that, his leg looked to be mangled.

"Sorry we took so long. We're nearly there. Just hang on for a bit longer and we'll have you out of there."

"Make it soon," Kensi begged. Her fingers sought the pulse in Deeks' neck once again, just to reassure herself that he was still alive and her other hand tightened around his body, holding him close to her own. She had no idea for how long she had been sitting here on the floor, cradling Deeks in her arms.

"They're working right now." Sam refused to leave, sensing how much Kensi needed him right now. "Everything's going to be fine."

Kensi sniffed loudly. "He's really hurt, Sam. And, and when he woke up a while ago, he couldn't see." The tears were starting to flow now, running down her cheeks in a steady trickle. "Oh Sam – I think he's blind." She bent her head down, and Sam could see that her shoulders were shaking.

"Kensi? Kensi, listen to me. This is Deeks. Deeks. He's practically indestructible. A bump on the head and a broken leg isn't going to stop him. Heck, he's got so much hair he probably didn't even feel it."

"I felt it alright." Deeks had been aroused by this faint patter of moisture on his face. "Believe me, I'm still feeling it right now. And, is it just me, or is it raining in here?"

"You're awake!" Kensi exclaimed. She brushed the tears away.

"Or I could be talking in my sleep?"

"Shut up, lie still and just wait for help," she instructed. _Why do you always have to try to make a joke of things? You can't deflect everything with humour, you know. You can't keep using it as a barrier to stop people getting close. Why won't you let me get close to you?_

"Okay." The light-hearted banter had pretty much taken the last of his strength and Deeks didn't think he could have said anything more anyway. And there were worse things to do, than lie here with his head in Kensi's lap and her arms around him. Much worse things, like dying in darkness. "You want to put the lights on anytime soon?"

Kensi ignored the question. "They're going to get us out of here. And everything's going to be fine."

"Sure. You're such a crap liar, Kensi." _I thought it would hurt more than this. I thought dying would be so painful, and this isn't that bad. I just wish I could see her, one last time._

Deeks was unconscious again when the emergency teams finally broke through; unconscious and still cradled in Kensi's arms, as she rocked slowly back and forwards, refusing to let him go. His hair was powdered with masonry dust and smeared with drying blood, but there was a smile of singular sweetness on his face

* * *

><p>"Okay, I'm in position." Callen scanned the area, which looked defunct of all signs of life. The <em>car<em> (he refused to think of it as his car, seeing as it was a purely temporary situation) was parked outside a warehouse on the outskirts of the city. "You want to give me a heads up on the situation?"

"We're tracking the GPS on Dracul's cell. He's about two blocks away," Eric's voice said.

Callen looked at the dummy laptop lying on the passenger seat and hoped it was good enough to pass an initial survey. There had been no time for any degree of finesse, so he was going to have to go in hard and fast with this one. And that was fine, just fine. There wasn't much point in hanging around. He had a job to do, and what it amounted to was getting Hunter out by any means possible. That was shorthand for blowing Dracul's brains out, something he should have done back in Romania and saved everyone a whole lot of hassle. And heartbreak.

"Any word on Kensi and Deeks?"

"They're en route to the hospital. Kensi's going by ambulance, but they airlifted Deeks out of there." It was Nell who provided this information, and her voice sounded thick with unshed tears. "He's in a bad way, Callen."

Shit. This had to rate as one of the worst days ever. It was one more reason to get this over with as quickly as possible and get the hell out and over to the hospital.

* * *

><p>Thanks for reading the latest installment. We really would love to hear your review and comments about the story! Chime in folk!<p> 


	8. Chapter 8

**Speaking with the Angel: Chapter 8**

Kensi's ride to the hospital was a lesson in patience. It felt like it was taking forever as she sat nervously in the screaming ambulance. _Can't they make this square bucket move any quicker_ she screamed? The medic treated the cut on Kensi's leg quickly and efficiently, She was going to need stitches once she arrived in the emergency room but Kensi could care less about the injury she has sustained. She only wanted to be close to Deeks in his time of need and in her time of commitment. There...she said it! Commitment. She was ready to proclaim her love to the world. A vow of love. Why did it take the threat of such a great loss to make her realize the game they were playing was insane and ridiculous?

Who the hell cares if they fell in love? NCIS? Hetty? And all this angst just because Hunter didn't approve? Screw her. Screw all of them! If they didn't like it, she didn't give a damn anymore. Her only reason for living was now lying broken and unconscious in a LAPD medic helicopter and being rushed to the hospital.

"Please Deeks, hang in there," she prayed.

As they arrived at the hospital, she saw Sam through the back window of the ambulance. He was pacing back and forth impatiently on the ER dock waiting for her to arrival. She smiled knowing that he must have driven like a mad man just to be there to meet her. The EMTs wheeled Kensi into the ER and she reached for Sam's hand as he approached the gurney.

"Find Deeks, make sure he's alright," Kensi pleaded with Sam. "Don't leave him alone!"

"Kensi..."

"I'm fine, Sam. I'll join you as soon as they release me. Go!"

Sam squeezed Kensi's hand and nodded. Sam raced down the hall to the triage station.

Sam stopped the first nurse he found and looked at her id. "Excuse me, Nurse Henry?" Sam flashed his badge. "I'm looking for the LAPD cop they just airlifted in here. Do you know where they took him?"

"Who are you?" she asked.

"Special Agent, Sam Hanna, NCIS. He's the agency's LAPD liaison and my colleague."

"They just took him into surgery right now. I was on the prep team when they brought him in," she explained. "Your friend flat lined twice on the ride over here. They didn't even have time to stabilize him. They have to relieve the intracranial pressure in his brain first. But frankly Mr. Hanna, I don't know if he's going to survive the procedure. He needs to make it through the surgery and then the next 24 hours will be critical." The nurse stopped and softened her voice. "I thought you should be prepared for the worse."

Sam looked down the hall to the operating rooms and shook his head in anguish. Lord knows he didn't want to be the one to have to tell Hetty and Kensi that Deeks didn't make it.

* * *

><p>Callen left the laptop hidden in the truck of the car. He canvassed the building and was able to find a door at the loading dock entrance that had been compromised and left open. The message from Dracul said that Hunter was being held in exchange for the lap top. The abandoned warehouse was the meeting point yet there was still no sign of Comescu. With his gun drawn, the senior agent moved through the first floor of the warehouse in silence. If Hunter was being held at this location there was a lot of ground to cover in the multi-tiered building. Callen touched his ear piece.<p>

"Eric, what are your heat sensors telling you? How many warm bodies can you detect?"

"Besides you there are two more," Eric informed Callen. "I can't tell if they are on the same floor thought, but they are very close. I'd say about ten feet to your right. Be careful."

"Right."

Callen walked slowly in the direction of the heat signatures. The area was clear except for some discarded cardboard boxes and rubbish. Hunter had to be on one of the floors directly above him. Callen found the stairs leading up to the different floors. Without making a sound he climbed the stairs to the second level, careful not to brush up against the long strips of paint peeling off the walls. _The place should have been demolished a long time ago_, Callen thought. Perfect hangout for a kidnapping. He had to admit Comescu had a flair for the dramatic.

Callen peered through the square window of the stairway door of the second floor landing. There wasn't much cover for him to hide once he opened the door. Callen took a quick glimse around the room and saw a flash of movement off to the side.

"Eric, I need eyes! Where are the two targets in relation to my position?"

"They are about 30 feet to the left of you Callen, and within 5 feet of each other."

Callen couldn't go in guns blazing or Hunter may be hit in the crossfire. He needed a diversion or something he could use to make them come to him instead.

"Callen, someone just entered the building, they are almost on top of you!" Eric shouted in Callen's ear piece.

Callen turned to look down the stairs but was instead facing the barrel of gun with Dracul Comescu at the other end.

"I just love it when a plan comes together, don't you?" Comescu smiled maniacally at Callen as the agent raised his hands slowly in the air. Damn. This really was not the diversion he had in mind.

* * *

><p>It had been an hour and no word on Deeks' condition. <em>That had to be a good sign, right? It was way better than the alternative,<em> Sam thought. Sam paced up and down in the waiting room. He pretended to watch the news on the TV, then called Hetty again and continued pacing up and down this time in the hallway outside the operating room.

"Sam!" Kensi called out as she reached his location. Sam could tell she had a slight limp but otherwise looked well.

"Are you ok?" he asks.

"I'm fine, how's Deeks?" Kensi had no time for small talk. She demanded to leave the ER even before they could finish the paperwork to discharge her. She slammed her business card down at the nurse's station and told them to bill her and rushed off in search of Sam.

Sam just didn't have the heart to tell her what the triage nurse first told him about Deek's condition when he arrived. Besides, the LAPD cop was a scrapper and a fighter. Sam would bet that the odds were in his favour.

"Deeks is in surgery to remove the pressure on his brain," Sam explained to Kensi. "Hopefully we'll know something soon."

"Oh god, Sam. I don't know if I can take the wait any longer." Kensi ran her fingers through her hair and stood quietly holding her head in her hand. It had been a long day and if she wasn't so tired she would break down and cry. Not knowing was killing her.

Sam's didn't know what to say to her. He was saved by saying anything at all when his cell phone rang.

"What's up Eric?"

"We lost contact with Callen, Sam. We think Comescu may have both him and Hunter. Hetty wants you to head to the warehouse now."

"Ok, send me the coordinates. I'm leaving now." Sam cuts off the connection and turns to Kensi.

"Is it Callen?" Kensi asked.

"Yeah, I have to go, but Hetty is sending Nell over to keep you company."

"I'm ok, you go," Kensi urged Sam.

"Keep the faith. He'll be fine." Sam kissed her on the forehead and walked out the hospital waiting room.

Kensi fell back into one of the plastic seats lining the room's back wall and dropped her head into her hands.

"Excuse me I'm looking for Mr. Hanna?" asked the operating room nurse still in her surgical scrubs.

"He had to leave," Kensi answered and pulled out her badge to show the nurse. "I'm Detective Deek's partner, Agent Blye. How is he?"

"Miraculously, he pulled through the procedure but he's not out of the woods yet. The surgeon will be by shortly to brief you on his condition."

"Can I see him?" she asked.

"Not until I've contacted his next of kin. Do you know who that may be?"

"I think you're going to need this," Nell Jones said as she walked into the room and handed Deeks' power of attorney to the nurse. "Ms Henrietta Lange is his next of kin and she directed me to give you this document. You can contact her at this number." Nell pointed out the number on the yellow sticky sheet on the front page.

Kensi mouthed the words _thank you_ to Nell and smiled.

"Ok, I'll be right back," the nurse said.

"I'm so happy to see you Nell! Thanks for being here," Kensi smiled at the ops analyst.

Nell lowered her head and looked up at Kensi. "You know Eric and I are always here for you guys, we're just not always _here_," Nell pointed to the floor. "As much as we would like to be out in the field more, we're happy to be where ever you need us."

Kensi bit her lower lip and squeezed Nell's hand.

"Agent Blye?" Kensi turned to see a tall man in surgical scrubs walk up to the two women. "I'm Doctor Cooper."

"How is he?" Kensi pushed for an answer.

"Detective Deeks is holding his own right now. We alleviated the pressure in his brain but won't know his odds of making it for at least 24 to 48 hours. It will be touch and go until then. But the good news is he's still alive despite the invasive procedures. We also set his leg. He had a broken femur. It's going to be a long recovery."

"You don't know my partner," Kensi smirked as she let out a long sigh. "When can I see him?"

"Now. I'll get one of the ICU nurses to come get you." Dr. Cooper nodded and walked up to the intensive care unit nurse's station.

"Come this way, Agent Blye," a petite woman called to her.

"Go ahead, I'll wait here for you," said Nell.

"Let Hetty know," Kensi called back as she ran to keep up with the nurse.

"Gee Kensi, and here I was going to do my Sudoku puzzle." Nell shook her head sadly and pulled out her cell. "Hetty? It's Nell here. He made it through the operation." She listened carefully for a few seconds. "Hetty? Exactly where are you?" This was so not good.

* * *

><p>"I wouldn't pull that trigger," Callen warned. "Because if you do, that laptop is history." His brain was working overtime as he tried to work out who the third person could be.<p>

"You're bluffing. You don't even have it." Dracul let the barrel of the gun press into Callen's brow and at the same time relieved him of his own weapon.

"I do. And it's booby trapped. I'm the only person who can open the outer container without the whole thing exploding. It's amazing just how little Semtex you need for a really big explosion." A cold smile flitted across his features. "Have you ever seen shrapnel injuries? Or how much damage a blast can do at close quarters?" His tone was almost conversational.

"So where is it?" Doubts were beginning to seize Dracul's mind now.

"Trunk of my car. I'll do you a trade. Our agent for the laptop. But I want her alive."

"Why should I trust you?"

"For the same reason I have to trust you: because neither of us have a choice." Callen stared at him directly. "Ain't life a bitch?"

Dracul pondered things for a moment, clearly in a quandary. Clearly, previous encounters had been dealt with by brute force alone, because Dracul did not appear to be overly endowed with brains. Eventually he came to a decision and gestured with the gun. "Go on. You can see her. And then one of my men will get the laptop and you can disarm the bomb."

"Whatever you say." It wasn't like he had much of a choice anyway. Wrong-footed, outnumbered and without his primary weapon: how much more could possibly go wrong? Answer, in block capital, using one side of the paper only, if you please, to G Callen (deceased) care of The Mission, Los Angeles. Only there wasn't much of the Mission left in a habitable condition. Vague thoughts of Deeks and Kensi flitted through Callen's mind as he was pushed along a corridor and he wondered if they had been successfully extracted from the rubble. Deeks would be fine: he was a survivor, and Kensi was as ballsy as they came. His own chances were decidedly iffy. On scale of one to crap, this was way off the meter.

"Fancy meeting you here." Callen tried to enter the room with as much dignity and flair as possible, which wasn't easy when you'd been kicked in the backside, but he gave it his best shot. Hunter looked like shit. Correction: she looked shit scared.

"I didn't think you'd come." Her eyes were dilated wide with fear.

"We don't leave our own behind." Only that was what he had done. He'd walked out and left Kensi and Deeks and for what? For some crappy, fly by the seat of your pants plan that didn't have a hope in hell of succeeding? For Hunter? Why should two people have to die instead of one?

"Thank you." Her eyes closed briefly, and the darkness of her eyelashes fanning down upon the pale, almost colourless cheeks was a startling study in contrasts. "I didn't want to die alone."

"We'll get out of here." Callen gestured downwards. "Keys are in my back pocket." He refrained from telling Hunter that he didn't want to die, period. "And I'm going to need a table and a chair. Plus a decent light." Might as well keep them busy, he thought.

"I wouldn't be so sure about that." Hunter opened her eyes again, and Callen wondered if it was his imagination or if he really had seen a glimmer of hope in them. But in an instant, any possible animation had been replaced by the usual passive immobility of feature that was so characteristic of the woman. Had he come all this way – to Romania and then back again – just to die with Hunter? And for what? There were far too many questions and not nearly enough answers.

"I don't think we've been introduced." Callen looked at the man holding a gun on Hunter. "My name's Callen. Just Callen. Well, G Callen, if you want to be precise. Somewhere alone the line, I seem to have lost the rest of my first name."

"Gavril." The man was about thirty, tall and slim, with black hair and blue eyes.

"What?" Callen took an involuntary step backwards, only to walk back into the nose of Dracul's gun. "What did you say?"

Dracul burst out laughting. "You idiot. You think he was talking about you? He was only telling you his name. Not yours. You poor fool, there is so much you don't know.

* * *

><p>"Hey Deeks." They'd made her scrub her hands thoroughly, and change into a set of scrubs, due to the dust-impregnated clothing. Kensi had meekly complied, once the nurse had explained that internal fixators had been required to pin the femur fracture into position and that any danger of possible infection had to be avoided. That all paled into insignificance next to the head injury though.<p>

It didn't look like Deeks lying there in the bed, waxy pale and an oxygen mask over his face. And when she picked up his hand and held it in her own, it was slightly chilly to the touch and absolutely motionless.

"He's cold." Kensi pulled the covers up around his shoulders and looked at the nurse accusingly.

"His body's in shock. It's reacting to the injuries and his blood pressure's low." The nurse checked the reading on the monitors and then hurried away to get some warm blankets.

"I'll be right here. I won't leave you. I promise you, Deeks. I'm going to be right here." Kensi raised his hand to her lips and kissed it, holding it there for much longer than was strictly necessary.

"And so will I." There was a pressure on her shoulder and when Kensi turned around it was to see Hetty Lang, seated in a wheelchair and with an expression of utter devastation on her face.

"I couldn't stop her." Nell was out of breath and red in the face.

"Hell itself could not stop me." Hetty moved a little closer in order to have a better look and pursed her lips tightly together.

"I'm glad you're here." Kensi stretched out her free hand and found it clasped warmly. The difference between Hetty's strong grasp and Deeks' motionless hand was marked.

"Where else would I be?"

* * *

><p>Hi folks! Hope you are enjoying it so far...we invite you to leave reviews or any comments you may have so far. So happy reading...the story continues...<p> 


End file.
